


Sins of the Father

by willowaus



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cheerleader!Sabrina, F/M, Jock!Nick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:54:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 169,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27473086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willowaus/pseuds/willowaus
Summary: In a Greendale where Edward Spellman was given the chance to see his manifesto play out, Sabrina Spellman works to traverse the world her father created for her, walking that fine line between mortal and witch, trying to integrate them both.It’s not enough that she has to maintain that Spellman image while trying to juggle the Weird Sisters, her friends, and an annoyingly hot warlock, Nick Scratch.She also has to deal with the fact that someone or something doesn’t want her to make it to her seventeenth birthday.
Relationships: Nicholas Scratch/Sabrina Spellman
Comments: 441
Kudos: 273





	1. smells like teen spirit

Sabrina sank down onto the beanbag chair in Cerebus Books, holding tightly to her cup of tea so she didn’t accidentally scald herself as she got settled. Roz was much more practical, taking up space on the floor in front of the bat-shaped coffee table. Summer might be coming to an end, but just like the decor of this particular store, her hometown seemed stuck in perpetual fall. Even in the middle of July, a light jacket was still usually required, never quite knowing when the wind would whip up or a rainstorm might appear. 

She let the spoon move on its own, stirring in the last bits of sugar, as Roz passed over a bunch of polaroid photos. “I forgot the napkins,” Roz muttered, glancing back over at the counter. She really didn't want to get back up for them and looked over at her friend. “Think you could?”

Sabrina waved a hand, bringing one of the baskets to rest on the table for them. “Oooh, who’s this?” she asked, holding up a photo of Roz and some guy that kept popping up in the photos. 

“Andrew. Cute, right?” Roz asked with a dopey little grin. Sabrina liked it on her friend, that carefree ease that Roz always seemed to carry around with her for a while after returning from summer bible camp.

Sabrina looked back at the picture, studying it closely. He was definitely the sort of guy Roz usually had a crush on and ended up hooking up with at bible camp as well. “He has nice eyes.”

Roz laughed, taking the photo back from her. “You would focus on the eyes.”

“They say a lot about a person, but _anyway_ , you really did like taking shots of him all summer, hmm?” Sabrina persisted, hopeful for some more details.

“It was _one month_. Not all summer,” Roz pointed out before taking a sip of her lemonade. 

“It was an _eternity_ ” Sabrina groaned, leaning back against the beanbag as best she could. “With both you and Theo gone, the days just seemed longer than ever.”

“I’m sure you and Harvey figured out ways to occupy your time.” Roz waggled her brows at her friend before frowning at the sudden sagging of Sabrina’s shoulders. “Brina?”

Sabrina reached over for her tea, setting the spoon down on a napkin as she tried to work out how exactly to explain what had happened. Good thing they'd gotten the sugar cookies with the ridiculous amount of icing. They were going to be needed. 

“We broke up.”

Sometimes it was best to be succinct. 

“What?” Roz leaned forward at that, eyes wide with confusion. “Why? I know you guys hit a rough patch last year but I thought things were good.” They’d been together for four years now, ever since sixth grade, practically a package deal. Sabrina and Harvey, Harvey and Sabrina. One was always with the other. 

It was Sabrina’s turn to frown. She wasn’t looking forward to how many times she’d probably have to repeat this conversation. Breaking up over the summer had been nice because she hadn’t needed to see Harvey at all and no one was prying her for answers. But with school starting back up next week Sabrina knew that her short reprieve was coming to an end. 

“Everything just kind of fizzled out this summer,” Sabrina murmured, which had at least been nice. It hadn’t been some big blow out, no argument that had broken the two apart. 

“What do you mean?” Roz watched her carefully, noting that her friend didn’t exactly seem devastated. That was good, right? She just hoped Harvey felt the same about it or their group lunches were going to become incredibly awkward.

“We were sitting around at his house and we just…” Sabrina paused, trying to get the words right, to explain the realization that had kind of come over the two of them. “We have nothing in common. Besides you and Theo. He hates horror movies. I can’t stand action ones. It was like we were just going through the motions?” 

They’d been together for so long it had seemed like it was what they were supposed to do. But Sabrina had realized kissing Harvey had become a chore, something to get through instead of being something she couldn’t wait to do. They didn’t call one another every night like they had used to, had barely made plans once the others had all headed off to their summer plans. 

“So it was an okay break up?” Roz asked, not sure that was the right way to say it but figured that Sabrina would understand what she meant.

“It was mutual,” Sabrina replied, nodding at that, remembering that talk with Harvey, the two of them realizing they hadn’t actually held hands or kissed at all in the prior two weeks while sitting on the couch at his house, both on opposite sides of it, neither touching the other. 

“Why didn’t you write to me?” Roz reached over, taking hold of Sabrina’s hand and giving it a squeeze.

“I didn’t want to drag down the fun you were having. And it was fine,” Sabrina quickly added, squeezing Roz’s hand back before pulling away. “We just kind of drifted apart, it happens.”

“Not with you two,” Roz murmured, still not quite believing it. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for girl’s nights and watching crappy horror movies to cover up crying your eyes out.”

“Salem stood in for you.” Though she hadn’t actually cried over it. There had been some sadness, the ending of an era, but it had felt more like a weight lifted off her shoulder. Only slightly though since she’d kept the breakup to herself for the last few weeks.

“I’m sure he loved that,” Roz shook her head, thinking of all the attention the cat must have gotten.

“Funny enough he’s not a fan of mani-pedis,” Sabrina sighed at that, shaking her head in dismay.

“I’m glad I’m not being replaced by a cat,” Roz laughed as she picked up her cookie. “Even if he is your familiar.”

“Not my best friend though. That coveted role is still yours.” Sabrina grinned at her before nodding toward the pictures again. “Now tell me about Andrew the Cutie.” She sipped at her tea, watching as Roz recounted her different adventures, unsurprised to find out that her friend hadn’t bothered to snag the guy’s number. What happened at bible camp stayed at bible camp, was her friend’s motto.

But that didn't stop Roz from gushing about the guy, going through in perfect detail everything they had gotten up to while Sabrina ate her cookie. 

"It was that spark of something fresh and new, you know? Though it fizzled out pretty quickly, which was fine.” Roz shrugged, wiping some icing off the cookie and popping it into her mouth. “That's how summer romances should be."

Sabrina had felt that sort of spark at the beginning with Harvey. She wasn't sure when exactly it had gone all wrong or why. He was calm, considerate, and went along with everything she suggested. Always. Which was nice…until it wasn't.

“Any other big news?” Roz asked, wondering what else she might have missed out on in the last month.

Sabrina shook her head. Everything else had been rather boring around Greendale without her friends around. It was the first summer that everyone had been gone all at the same time and she really hoped it wasn’t a sign of things to come. 

“How’s practice been? It started up last week, right?” Roz asked, watching Sabrina closely for clues.

“ _Good_ ,” she insisted, trying to reassure her friend. “I know, my trying out for cheerleading in the spring for this year was kind of--”

“ _Weird_ ,” Roz supplied before taking a drink of her shake. 

Sabrina quirked her lips at that. “I was going to say surprising, but we’ll go with weird.”

“I mean once you explained how the Weird Sisters had taunted you about never making the team so don’t even bother showing up because they thought you were looking at the flyer for tryouts,” Roz started, remembering that conversation near the end of last school year.

“Which I wasn’t!” She’d been hanging up another poster for their WICCA group.

“And since you can’t back down from anything ever, _of course_ you took that as a challenge.” Roz shook her head, remembering Sabrina’s indignation over that entire conversation. It was always something to watch her friend get riled up about something.

“It was just so satisfying when I nailed it and Prudence begrudgingly had to give me a spot. On Varistity.” Sabrina hadn’t expected to make it, let alone be included on that particular team. She’d been certain she’d be passed over for someone else, but those years of gymnastics classes in elementary school had paid off.

“It does mean you’re stuck with her as your cheer captain for the next year,” Roz reminded before starting to list off what exactly that meant. “Bossing you around, running you through countless drills.”

“I know. I was kind of dreading it, knowing she’ll be singling me out as often as she can, but I kind of like the challenge.” It brought a wicked smile to get lips when she repeatedly proved Prudence wrong.

“That doesn’t surprise me either. New year, new you, right?” Roz murmured, looking curiously over at her friend. 

“That is my plan,” Sabrina told her. Her Dark Baptism was a little over two months away and with that she’d be a full member of the Coven of Night, heading down the same path as her father, aunts and cousin. Her stomach fluttered at the idea of it, a mixture of fear and excitement over the possibilities that awaited her. 

“Just don’t forget us little people when you make it big,” Roz started and Sabrina snorted at that. 

“Oh yeah, really huge career going for me in being tossed in the air,” Sabrina shook her head, knowing that wasn’t quite what her friend had meant. “We’ll still be in a few classes together.”

“And then you’ll be off to do your other studies in the other wing,” Roz pointed out. They had known it was coming, but it hadn’t ever seemed all that real until now. 

“Just the ones after lunch. It’s not that many for me since I’m so young,” Sabrina supplied, trying to ease some of the uncertainty that had started to build between them. “We still have History together. And I’ve got English with Theo. And we all have homeroom together this year.”

“Just all of your specialty classes are something else now.” No more attempting art class together, both of them paling in comparison to whatever Harvey managed to do. 

“And math,” Sabrina added before finishing off her tea. “Sacred geometry this time around.” 

“What makes it sacred?” Roz asked as the two of them rose, dropping their cups off at the counter. 

“It's the different symbols and patterns used and put together in different ways for spells and rituals and things like that,” Sabrina explained as they exited the store, linking elbows together when they started down the sidewalk. “But, Roz, just because I’m going to be delving a little deeper into all of that, it doesn’t change anything between us. Remember?” She’d made that promise years ago and Sabrina meant to keep it. 

“Still best friends forever,” Roz murmured, bumping her shoulder into Sabrina’s before she adjusted her glasses.

“And ever,” Sabrina replied, even if their definitions of eternity were vastly different. They’d make it work.

* * *

Sabrina spun one more time in front of the mirror, surveying her first day of sophomore year outfit one more time--the corduroy skirt with a purple turtleneck sweater seemed like the perfect combo. The black headband was already in place, smoothing back her blonde curls. Salem gave a little meow of approval and she turned back to look at him, grinning before she grabbed her leather brown jacket hanging off the side of her bed. 

They headed down the stairs together, finding the rest of the Spellman family in the kitchen, already digging into their different breakfasts.

All except her father, but she’d known better than to expect him just yet. His letter had said he wouldn’t be back for the start of the school year while wishing her a happy start. 

“Morning, love,” Hilda kissed her cheek in greeting before placing a plate of eggs and toast in front of her. 

Ambrose dug into his chocolate cereal, giving her outfit a thumbs up before floating a glass of orange juice over to her. Zelda didn’t bother looking up from the paper that she was reading, simply flipping to the next page. 

“Excited for the new year?” Hilda asked as she sat down at her usual spot, tossing Salem a scrap of meat. “And the new...classes?”

“I wasn’t overly happy with my class schedule at first,” Sabrina started, sticking her tongue out at Ambrose’s snort. “I mean, they had me in beginning Latin.”

“It was utterly ridiculous,” Zelda butted in, setting the newspaper down in front of her before she started buttering her toast. “As if I hadn’t been teaching you that since before you could walk. I made sure we had a talk with Faustus last week and got the whole thing sorted.”

“What else are you taking?” Ambrose asked, wondering how their aunt had managed to finagle for Sabrina. He’d seen the initial schedule and it had been pretty pitiful, stuff that was for the utter beginners at magic.

“Sacred Geometry, Herbology, Demonology, and Conjuration,” Sabrina replied, feeling slightly vindicated that she’d been put in the Conjuration class. It wasn’t something first years usually entered, but considering who her father was she’d learned the basics of that particular subset of magic ages ago. 

Ambrose nodded. “Not bad.” Definitely more worthy to her status than what she’d initially been saddled with. 

Zelda placed her half-eaten toast down on the plate, directing Sabrina to look at her. “Now remember, you are the High Priest’s daughter--”

Ambrose snorted again. “Oh please, Auntie Zee. This one is practically pure as snow when she wants to be.”

“The key part of that phrase is _when she wants to be_ ,” Zelda replied, fixing him with a look and he glanced down at his cereal, focusing on that. 

“It's not my fault that I butt heads with Father Blackwood on occasion,” Sabrina shrugged. She was pretty sure it was a right of passage for a Spellman at that point. 

No matter how progressive her father’s ideas were, Blackwood treaded the line as carefully as he could, waiting for any opportunity to call a witch out for any sort of infraction. Especially her. And she hadn’t even been under his jurisdiction until this year. 

“I like to think we all butt heads with that buffoon,” Hilda hummed, picking up her cup of tea and blowing softly on it, ignoring the look her sister sent her way.

Zelda sighed, giving each of them a pointed look. “He is a figure of authority.”

“He’s the principle,” Ambrose muttered, not exactly something to be excited about.

“Co-principal,” Sabrina reminded. “With Principle Hawkins for all mortal studies, who really isn’t any better. What, there were no women candidates for the job?” The two of them held the same opinions on so many matters even if one was mortal and the other a warlock.

“Take it up with your father,” Zelda replied, watching as her niece’s brow furrowed at that. 

She didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what the girl was thinking. Zelda could see it plain as day in the way Sabrina pushed around her eggs with her fork, silently sulking. It was Salem moving over to the girl, rubbing up against her legs that really cinched it though. “He’ll be back in three weeks, Sabrina. You know this is a busy time of year with different council meetings that take him out of town.”

“And he’ll be here for the entire month of your birthday, love,” Hilda reminded, and Sabrina nodded, forcing a small smile before taking a bite.

“Yep.” Even if she was certain that had more to do with coven business than it actually being her birthday. 

“Always remember he’s working to make your future brighter,” Zelda pointed out as she rose, placing a hand on her niece’s shoulder. 

“I know. I just…” Sabrina sighed, feeling her aunt squeeze her shoulder before she moved onto pick up her cigarette holder. _Wish he could be part of my present more._

“Eat your breakfast,” Zelda told her, nodding toward the plate as she lit the cigarette, watching Sabrina until she started doing so again. Best to change the subject before the solemn mood had time to take root. “The Scratches are going to be away for another month, correct?” 

“Yes, Nathaniel sent word of that yesterday,” Ambrose confirmed, glancing over at his cousin to see if there was any reaction to that. She simply ate her eggs, dipping her toast in the runny yoke, but he spotted the look Salem gave her before the cat slinked off to find a good place to nap, belying her indifference. “Edward needs him around for some deal they're working to broker with one of the covens in Slovenia.”

* * *

Sabrina broke away from Roz, nodding toward her locker as the two of them parted ways in the hallway. So far the day had been fairly smooth. Mortal classes had gone off without a hitch, not that Sabrina had been expecting any trouble there. It was the new ones she’d be heading to after lunch that had her stomach turning in knots. 

She had as much right to be there as anyone else in them--more so if she bought into the whole belief that a child of a High Priest was superior to other witches and warlocks. Not that she did and the whole being part mortal seemed to negate or at least sullied that for some of the magical community. Even if the whole living amongst mortals and following her father’s belief system was why that had either stayed in Greendale or relocated to it twenty years ago. 

“God, he’s hot,” one of the girls next to her locker started. 

“It’s not fair that anyone looks that fine,” her friend agreed, the two of them jostling Sabrina slightly as they leaned back against the locker, arching their necks for a better look. “Sorry.”

Sabrina waved off the apology, going over her schedule again and picking out the materials she was going to need for the class after lunch.

“I hear he’s single again,” the two continued. “Not that he’s ever actually dating anyone.”

“I don’t need to date him. If the rumors are true about…”

It was confusing, because usually that kind of talk was associated with one annoying warlock who wasn’t supposed to be back in town for another month. Wasn’t that what Ambrose had relayed at breakfast?

Sabrina glanced over, following the girls’ gazes down the hallway, catching sight of the one and only Nicholas Scratch making his way through the crowd. It was ridiculous how everyone parted for the warlock, some turning to look at him appreciatively while others hurried out of his way. She watched as he easily made small talk with their classmates on his way down, offering up a high five to another of the varsity football squad. She rolled her eyes as some girl let out a high pitched screech of giggles, before turning back to her locker and grabbing her packed lunch. 

Sabrina felt him behind her, watched from the mirror on the door of her locker as he nodded for the two standing next to the lockers to move so he could get to his own. Scratch and Spellman, always alphabetically right next to one another since he’d moved in with his father four years ago. 

“Did you do something different to your hair?” Nick asked as he opened his locker and she glanced over at him, not entirely surprised by his comment. 

He always noticed the little things. 

“I’m wearing a new headband but that’s kind of it,” Sabrina replied, finally closing the locker, ducking when he reached over to touch it. “I thought you weren’t coming home for another month?” 

“No, that’s just my father.” Nick shrugged, stuffing his backpack into the locker once he had his wallet in his hands. “I got back in last night.”

“Finally decided to show up to school right before lunch?” Sabrina shook her head. It was pretty typical for him. 

He was mostly in independent study at this point anyway with his magic classes and Father Blackwood could make the grades in the mortal ones change if needed. Not that Nick would need that kind of help. She’d watched him charm enough teachers to know he could sweet talk his way into an extra assignment to make up for a missed class here or there. Especially when he more than made up for it when he was in class, full-on participation and that thirst for knowledge coming into play.

“You know me, always have to make my entrance,” Nick winked at her as the two of them stepped out into the hallway, heading toward the cafeteria.

“I’m not giving you my notes,” Sabrina informed him, holding her lunchbag close to her chest as they traversed the crowd.

“We both know you’re going to give me your notes,” Nick replied, bumping his shoulder into hers. 

She zapped him lightly with her magic, smirking at his quiet yelp. “Nope, sorry. New year, new me. You have to take your own notes this year.”

“You’re killing me, Spellman,” Nick groaned, and she shook her head at him, knowing what was coming next. The pout. That damnable look was worse than his cocky little smirk.

“You already know all the material anyway,” Sabrina pointed out, as he waved the cafeteria door open.

“But how am I supposed to make it through the weekend without seeing your ridiculous color coded notes?” Nick supplied, catching her finger when she tried to jab him in the chest.

“You leave my color coded notes alone,” she warned as she yanked her hand away, the two of them finding their way over to the usual table. Theo was already at it, reaching over to fist bump Nick in greeting before grinning at Sabrina. 

“What’s he begging for now?” Theo asked as the two sat down, noting the way Nick was looking at Sabrina while she worked to steadfastly ignore him. 

“My notes.” Sabrina started taking out the lunch Hilda had packed for her, smacking at Nick’s hand when he reached over to snag one of her grapes. 

“You already took notes?” Theo arched a brow at that, not entirely surprised by that information but… “It’s the first day of classes, Sabrina.”

Sabrina shrugged. “And Ms. Wardwell was already teaching so of course I took notes. Everyone knows whatever she talks about on that first day is going to be in the December exam.” It wasn’t her fault they were in the same AP class together and their teacher, while seemingly meek as a mouse, was a stickler for learning. She had her fork lightly swat at Nick’s hand as he reached over again, working to get one of the chocolate chip cookies. “Stop trying to eat my food, Nicholas.”

“Oooh, she used the _Nicholas_ so you know she means it,” Theo teased, dodging the napkin Nick threw at his head before taking a bite out of his own sandwich.

“Ms. Bilgen doesn’t get back in town until Wednesday,” Nick informed her and Sabrina sighed at that before handing him one of the cookies. Lilith forbid he couldn’t make himself a meal without the housekeeper present. 

“Doesn’t that mean you’re buying?” Sabrina eyed his wallet on the table and Nick stood, cookie stuffed in his mouth as he headed over toward the counter to buy something. 

“Have you seen Harvey?” she asked, looking over at Theo, attempting to be nonchalant about it.

“We came to school together,” Theo told her, offering up a small smile. “He was good. Talking about some new lyrics he started writing.”

Good. If he was writing then things were okay. “Are you good?” Theo asked, watching her closely.

“We’re friends. That’s what we decided.” They just hadn’t seen each other much since that breakup, waving to one another from across the street, but hadn’t exactly been in the same room since she’d left his house in the middle of July. 

It was bound to be awkward but Sabrina thought it would be fine. She _hoped_ it would be. Her friendship circle kind of depended on it being fine.

Roz headed their way next, settling in by Sabrina. All that was missing was Harvey. Sabrina looked around, wondering where he might be. Maybe he was buying lunch today. If Tommy had worked last night there wouldn’t have been anything to take as leftovers. 

“He’s got art class before lunch on Mondays,” Roz supplied and Sabrina nodded. He wouldn’t be coming then. He always got lost in the process, forgoing lunch so he could focus on his muse. 

Nick sat back down beside Sabrina, plopping one of the peanut butter brownies in front of her before setting his tray down. It _almost_ made up for him eating one of Aunt Hilda’s cookies. “What’s everyone got next?” he asked, looking around at the others. 

It was a random chorus of classes, some mortal, some magic, before the usual how was your summer conversation started to flow, everyone catching up on one another’s lives. Sabrina had missed this. With everyone scattered to the winds, the days had dragged on, leaving her hoping for the return of normalcy. 

Or as normal as anything ever was at Baxter High.

Lunch ended all too quickly and everyone but Nick rose, getting ready to head off to their next class. “We’ve got sacred geometry together now,” Nick pointed out, motioning to the last bit of spaghetti that he needed to finish off, beckoning for her to wait. 

Sabrina pressed her hands onto her hips, eying him carefully. She spotted Dorcas off to the side, glaring at the two of them, another staple of being at back in these walls. One she definitely hadn’t missed. She was going to need to remember to cast anti-hexing spells on herself before school again.

“Unlike you, I’m not about to be late to class,” Sabrina replied, taking hold of Roz’s arm before heading out of the cafeteria. She’d never hear the end of it if she was, unlike Nick who could waltz in whenever without issue.

Nick watched her go, letting himself take in the sway of her hips as she walked, before he shook his head. The last thing he should have been doing was appreciating Sabrina as she walked away from him. She was with Kinkle and had been for nearly as long as he’d known her. He’d never exactly figured out why that was, couldn’t see what drew her to the mortal. He’d been half-convinced she was under some weird spell at first. Part of him still wasn’t entirely sure that wasn’t the truth considering what a snoozefest talking to Harvey one on one could be. 

He guessed the guy was dependable. He had always showed up for things when he said he would and the mortal books did seem to make a big deal about doing that. Nick frowned, finishing off the last bit of spaghetti. It was still a puzzle, but one way or another he’d figure it out.

Nick turned his attention toward one of the other tables, smiling as he caught sight of one of the other cheerleaders looking his way. 

The day was already looking up.

* * *

Cheerleading practice had been a grueling process and yet somehow invigorating as well. Sabrina enjoyed riling Prudence up by simply taking on everything the other witch doled out at her. She’d nailed each flip, every new line to the cheer that the Weird Sisters taught, and managed the twist in the air when she’d been thrown, landing perfectly. It was almost like flying, a sense of freedom to it that Sabrina craved. 

It also helped that unlike the Weird Sisters who’d had it out for her since preschool, the rest of the squad was welcoming. She’d known all of them longer than Prudence and her sisters did, having attended mortal school since her preschool years, while the Sisters and most of the other witches and warlocks had started mortal school at Baxter High. Only Nick had joined earlier, though even he hadn’t started until when she was in seventh grade. He’d been in eighth, going to Baxter Middle School with them at the urging of her father. 

“So what are you guys doing?” Sabrina heard Kate ask as she started changing out of her practice clothes. 

“We’re going to go get milkshakes,” Lizzie replied and Sabrina glanced over, wondering who they were talking about, watching as Kate leaned in, giggling.

“A Nick Scratch specialty,” the other girl murmured, Lizzie’s face reddening slightly before she pulled her hair back up into a ponytail.

They were lucky Dorcas had already left the locker room. Sabrina was certain the other witch would have openly hexed the two of them, consequences be damned. Her jealousy streak over Nick was notorious and Sabrina almost felt a little bad for her, since he’d managed to do whatever his version of dating was with both Prudence and Agatha, skipping over Dorcas until they’d all decided to be together for a bit. 

At the same time. 

Sabrina really didn’t want to know how that worked at all. 

She tugged on her shoes as she tried not to listen too closely to the other two’s conversation before closing up her gym locker. Slinging her bag over her shoulder she waved to them before heading toward the exit, ruminating over what work she needed to get started on. There was a shift in the air as she touched the door handle, the temperature in the room dropping considerably. 

The lights flickered, plummeting the room into darkness for a brief moment before coming back on. A feeling of magic hung in the air, telling Sabrina that a spell of some sort had been done, though she couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from.

It was the smell of salt water that permeated the room that really alerted Sabrina to something being off. There was a sucking sound from behind her, one that she couldn’t quite place, followed quickly by Kate and Lizze screaming. Sabrina dropped her bag and whirled around, heading back toward where the girls had been. She couldn’t see them as the lights swayed, scattering shadows along the floor and walls. 

The snap of a tentacled leg landing on the floor beside her had Sabrina turning, eyes widening in disbelief before it whipped up, wrapping tightly around her neck, dragging her backward. She clawed at the slippery skin, gasping for breath as she tried to work out what was happening. Her legs flailed instinctively, brain going into overdrive as she tried to remember _anything_ that could get her out of this situation. 

She had no idea what creature it was and didn’t think she would be able to figure it out before it squeezed the life out of her. Salt water and tentacles had to mean that it was from water, most likely the sea.

“Uro!” Sabrina choked out, the leg around her catching on fire, immediately releasing her. 

She lurched forward, drawing in gulps of air before she turned, lashing out again at the creature behind her. She sent wave after wave of fire at the creature, forcing it to release Kate and Lizzie from its grasp. She kept up the flames, pushing them forward and forced the creature back into the sewer grate that it had come up through, spelling the grate shut. 

The other two were gasping for air as they scrambled backwards and Sabrina turned back to them, not sure which she was supposed to head to first. Kate looked the worst off, curled up in a ball and sobbing as she hugged herself tightly.

“What was that?” Lizzie asked, hands still at her throat, touching the skin where the creature had latched onto her. 

“I have no idea,” Sabrina murmured, trying to memorize every little thing that she’d noticed about the creature so she could research it later, as she moved over to Kate. She murmured a soothing spell, trying to ease the terror that ran through the girl as the locker room doors swung open. Sister Jackson stood in the doorway, lips pinched in that disapproving way with the Weird Sisters standing behind her, all three looking curiously into the room.

“I should have known you’re the one behind this use of magic in this area of the school,” Sister Jackson snapped before taking note of the two mortals. 

“Something came up out of the sewer. I smelled salt water and it had tentacles but that’s all I could really see,” Sabrina explained, and Lizzie nodded, confirming her account. 

“It tried to eat Kate,” Lizzie added. Well, that explained the other girl’s near catatonic state.

Sister Jackson pursed her lips at that, glancing over at the spelled sewer grate. She could see the impressions of tentacle marks on the girls and along the floor, the slime that seemed prevalent with sea creatures as well. It seemed she couldn’t discipline the Spellman girl after all.

Pity that.

She looked back at Sabrina before motioning for the Weird Sisters to head inside. “Make sure that whatever spell Ms. Spellman used will actually hold. I’ll get one of the custodial staff in to clean this up.”

“Of course, Sister Jackson,” the three chorused while Sister Jackson snapped her fingers and looked back at Sabrina. 

“Help me get them to the nurse.”

Sabrina nodded, knowing the two were going to need to have their memories altered just a little. Nothing could interfere with Baxter High’s appearance. She left Sister Jackson to explain everything to the nurse, knowing Father Blackwood wouldn’t be far behind with his own brand of questions and she didn’t have the headspace to deal with him. 

She hadn’t expected to find Nick waiting in the hallway for her. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, tilting her head back so he could get a better look at the welts forming on her neck. 

His fingers were gentle as he quietly assessed her injuries and she bent her head, letting him brush her hair back so he could get a better look at the ones on the back of her neck. She hissed as he touched one before he murmured a quick, ‘sorry’, muttering a cooling spell to help ease the sting.

“I’m pretty sure it was some sort of sea demon,” Sabrina told him as she raised her head, shifting back a little at how close he’d gotten. 

He frowned at that, dropping his hands. “Are you sure, Sabrina?”

She narrowed her eyes at the doubt she heard in his voice. “Yes.” Maybe she didn’t know as much as he did about the creatures in the world but she could put two and two together pretty well.

“Those don’t just wander around in sewer systems.” Nick rubbed the back of his neck as he went through the possibilities. “And they tend to prefer the Pacific over the Atlantic.”

“I know that,” she snapped, annoyed that he seemed to be discounting her assessment of the situation. 

She hated his trademark smirk in that moment as he looked at her, ducking her head as he reached over to touch her hair. “I’m just saying, Spellman, that it's not going to wander around Greendale and accidentally happen upon you guys for a meal. _Someone_ would have needed to summon it.”

Oh. 

“Probably Dorcas.” Maybe the girl _had_ overheard Lizzie and Kate talking. She had sensed a spell being cast.

“Why do you think it was her?” Nick asked, smirk disappearing as he looked back at the welts, noting that they seemed to be blistering.

Sabrina arched a brow at that, shrugging. “Does she ever need a reason to send something after anyone?” Plus with what Lizzie and Kate had been talking about...

“Point.” He nodded toward the front of the school. “Come on, let’s get you home. You’re going to want Hilda to handle those welts on your neck.”

“I can get there on my own, it's okay,” Sabrina assured him as she shifted her bag to her other shoulder, trying to not let the strap touch her neck.

“Are you sure?” Nick asked as he frowned, obviously not liking the idea.

“I know how to teleport now, Nick,” she reminded before nodding back toward the nurse’s office. “And you kind of already have plans now.” No doubt Lizzie would be right as rain any second with no memory of what had occurred. 

Nick frowned, racking his brain to try and remember what possible plan he might have. “I do?”

She stared at him for a long moment before blowing out a sigh. Sabrina shook her head, wondering how he could so easily forget a date with someone. “With Lizzie?” she reminded him.

“Oh! Right.” He _had_ made plans with the mortal girl. 

From Sabrina’s narrowed gaze, Nick knew she wasn’t impressed with the fact he’d so easily forgotten those plans. Not his fault he’d been sidetracked. Hearing something had happened in the girl’s locker room had been enough to catch his attention, overhearing that it involved the Spellman girl and a few others had sent him running. 

“You sure I can’t get you home?” he asked, reaching over to slide the strap back away from her shoulder. “I can teleport you and then come back for Lizzie.”

“I'll be fine,” Sabrina murmured, readying to do the teleportation spell.

“Let me know when you get home,” Nick called out for her and Sabrina nodded, before completing the spell and teleporting away. 

He stared at the spot she’d been in for a long moment, going over how to pry it out of Dorcas if she had been the one to summon the sea creature, before his forearm itched. He drew back his sleeve, glancing down to find Sabrina’s handwriting forming on his arm, letting him know she’d made it home. 

“There you are!” he heard Lizzie’s bright voice and turned toward it, offering up a smile as she walked toward him. 

“Ready for that milkshake?” Nick asked, winking at her, enjoying the way she blushed at that. 

“Can’t wait,” she told him, waiting for him to open the door for them. “Did you hear the big gossip going around the school? I mean, you probably already knew because you’re such good friends with both of them.”

Nick arched a brow at that, heading out of the room with her. “I think everyone thought the two of them would end up married--even if it would be a little weird since she’s a witch. Sort of. Half-witch?” Lizzie continued, before shaking her head. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being a witch or anything. Just she’d live way longer than him, right?"

Half-witch? Clearly she was talking about Sabrina but he had no idea what Lizzie was going on about. “Just crazy that Harvey and Sabrina won’t be a thing anymore,” Lizzie sighed at that. “So much for true love, huh?”

“Sabrina and Harvey broke up.” 

It didn’t come out as a question, more like he was mulling over the words, a thousand possibilities turning over in his mind at this news. It felt too good to be true, though part of him cringed at the idea, trying to remember if Sabrina had seemed sad at any point during the day. He couldn’t think of any moment like that, though he had missed most of the morning. He’d need to pay closer attention tomorrow and get the details as well. Theo was his best bet for that. 

But that could all be dealt with tomorrow. For now he had a milkshake to buy.

* * *

“Only you would be attacked by something on your first day of school,” Ambrose commented as he looked her over, assessing her neck for any remains of the creature’s mark.

“Ix-nay on the attack,” Sabrina reminded, dropping her hair back down before jabbing him in the side. Neither of the aunts had been home and she’d managed to heal the welts on her own, getting Ambrose to apply the ointment to the back of her neck to make sure they were all taken care of.

Salem meowed at that, showcasing his disapproval from his spot on one of the living room chairs.

“Yes, Salem, I know you think I should let them know,” Sabrina muttered, glaring over at her familiar. “You've been howling at me about it for the last half hour.”

He let out another indignant meow and she sighed at that, beckoning for him to come over to her. 

“I know you’re only looking out for me,” she continued, thankful he bounded over to her, even if he did meow again. “Still not doing it.”

He butted his head into her stomach and she let out an ‘oof’, turning her attention back to her notes as Ambrose lounged on the couch behind her, shaking his head at their antics. He could hear Zelda puttering around in the basement while Hilda moved around the kitchen, getting dinner started. He reached over, brushing at Sabrina’s hair as she looked over her notes, working to memorize the plant properties, while Salem settled down in her lap. 

The knock on the door had all three glancing over at the foyer, wondering who it could be. 

“I’m studying so it's your job to answer it,” Sabrina informed him and Ambrose scoffed at that, hunkering further down into the couch. 

“It’s the first day of school,” he pointed out. “You don’t have anything to study yet.”

She held up the herbology book and he groaned, knowing she had the upper hand. Aunt Zee would never let him hear the end of it if he interrupted Sabrina learning witch things. Why couldn’t it have been some boring mortal subject? She smirked at him and he bopped her on the nose, heading to get the door as Zelda headed up from the basement, settling down on one of the chairs.

“How was school?” she asked, taking note of what her niece was looking at. Herbology. Good. Something sensible and magic related.

“It was fine,” Sabrina supplied, keeping her gaze on the book. If she looked like she was really into what she was learning then maybe her aunt would drop the conversation. 

“Nicholas, how wonderful to see you,” Zelda started as Ambrose headed back into the room, Nick on his heels. She smiled at him before motion for him to sit down. “Did you have a nice summer?”

“It was pleasant enough, Sister Spellman,” Nick replied as he sat down on the couch, leaning over to pick up the book Sabrina had opened. 

She glowered at him and reached back for it. “What brings you here?” Zelda continued, pressing her lips together as she attempted to hide her amusement over the two, watching as her niece zapped the young warlock, forcing him to drop the book. 

“I wanted to see how Sabrina was doing,” Nick murmured, gaze locked on her neck. “Looks good as new.”

Sabrina’s triumphant gaze over reclaiming her book quickly shifted, her eyes widening--that deer in the headlight’s look letting him know he’d erred somehow. “Why would you need to check up on my niece?” Sabrina cringed, feeling her aunt’s gaze on her. “Sabrina.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Sabrina started as she turned around, elbowing Nick’s leg.

Zelda pinched her nose, wondering how much of a nightcap she was going to need to have later on. “What in Satan’s name happened?”

“She fell during the cheerleading routine. Just wanted to make sure that ankle was okay,” Nick offered up and Sabrina nodded at that, hopeful that her aunt would believe them.

Zelda eyed the two carefully, clearly not quite satisfied with that answer, but Hilda entered the room, clapping her hands as she spotted Nick. “Oh, Nicholas! Lovely to see you,” Hilda exclaimed, smiling brightly at him. “Are you staying for dinner? Ms. Blevins isn’t back in town until Wednesday, right?”

Nick nodded. “Unfortunately yeah.”

“Then you must stay,” Hilda insisted, before nodding toward the kitchen. “Dinner is already ready and we all know I cook enough for a small army every night.”

Sabrina leaned back against the couch, glancing up at Nick who was sitting behind her, legs draped on either side of her. “And the real reason you came over is ever so clear now.”

“So you and Harry are through?” Nick asked as he rose, offering her a hand up. Salem let out another indignant meow as he was jostled before hurrying away to find somewhere else to lay.

“You know it's Harvey,” Sabrina replied, lips pressed together as they followed the others into the kitchen, hopeful that no one else had heard what Nick had asked.

“ _Wait_ , what’s this about Sabrina and Harvey being through?” Ambrose asked as soon as she stepped into the kitchen, and Nick cringed.

“You didn’t tell them?” he asked as he sat down by Sabrina.

“I didn’t tell you,” Sabrina pointed out as she leaned back against the chair.

“Lizzie told me so I’m guessing it's all over school by now,” Nick informed her and Sabrina sighed at that. 

_Great_.

“What happened with Harvey, love?” Hilda asked as she waved the serving dishes onto the kitchen table.

“We broke up over the summer,” Sabrina replied, holding up a hand before any of them could speak. “It’s fine. It was mutual.”

“About time, cousin. He was hardly worthy of your time,” Ambrose commented as he piled chicken and rice onto his plate.

“I concur with your cousin’s assessment of the situation but why exactly?” Zelda asked. Her niece had seemed happy enough to endure another year of ‘normalcy’ with the mortal boy. She narrowed her eyes, considering a possibility. “He didn’t try to defile you, did he?” 

Sabrina’s eyes grew wide again at that, nearly spitting out her water. “Aunt Zee!” Harvey would never.

“It’s a legitimate question,” Zelda replied, taking the plate from Ambrose. “Young men, especially mortal ones, are always after one thing.”

Ambrose snorted at that, while Nick focused on drinking his water. “The temptation is always greater before your Dark Baptism,” Zelda continued, focusing on Sabrina after giving both warlocks a look. “But purity until that night is essential.”

“I know, Aunt Zee.” Her and Harvey hadn’t gone past some intense makeout sessions anyway. Not that she was bringing that up in front of Ambrose or Nick. Sabrina poked at her rice. “I just don't know how to tell dad. Dating Harvey was so good for the image he's always wanting us to put forward.”

“Your father just wants you to be happy,” Hilda reminded her, reaching over to touch her hand. “And if that’s not with sweet Harvey, he’ll understand. Though, maybe this is just a temporary break?”

“I don’t think so, auntie,” Sabrina murmured, watching as the little bit of hope died in her aunt’s eyes. She knew Hilda liked her with Harvey, always finding him to be sweet. _Safe_. 

“There are plenty of other options out there anyway,” Zelda pointed out as she passed the vegetable plate to her niece. “Perhaps this time you might even find a warlock that interests you.”

“Doubtful,” Sabrina muttered, glaring at her cousin when he opened his mouth. She really didn’t want to hear whatever he had to say in that moment, thankful that he pressed his lips together, keeping the comment to himself.

“Now, Nicholas, perhaps you can fill us in on what Edward and Nathaniel are up to exactly?” Zelda suggested, and Sabrina offered her a small smile, grateful for the change in topic. 

An hour later, Sabrina was helping Nick dry the dishes as Ambrose worked to clean them. “You up for Dorian’s?” Nick asked, as Ambrose handed him the last dish. The last thing he wanted to do was head back to an empty house just yet.

“I am _always_ up for Dorian’s,” Ambrose replied, before heading off to gather a few things and let the aunts know he’d be out late. 

“I’d invite you to come with us, but you’re still not quite allowed,” Nick told Sabrina as he leaned against the counter, watching her take her time with the last of the glasses. 

“Not until after my Dark Baptism. Not that I'm likely to go after that anyway.” She handed him the glass to put away with the others.

“You say that now…” Nick told her, confident her opinion would change after her birthday. That rush of magic, the rise in a witch’s libido was hard to keep down. 

Sabrina shook her head at that. “ _Anyway_ , it wouldn’t matter if I could go now. I’ve already got a date.”

“A date?” Nick asked, wondering who at the school had managed that already.

“My bath and the newest Stephen King novel,” Sabrina informed him as she hopped off the counter, pressing the towel into his chest. “It’ll be a thrilling night.”

“I can borrow it when you’re done?” Nick asked, trying to blot out the images that were conjuring up in his head of Sabrina in that bath. He’d revisit those later, _not_ when she was standing in front of him.

“Like you even need to ask,” Sabrina laughed. “I’ll have it for you by Friday.” They walked out of the kitchen and through the living room together and Nick watched as she headed up the stairs, waiting for Ambrose to appear again. 

The older warlock shook his head as he descended the stairs, knowing that look in the younger boy’s eyes all too well. He’d had it since he’d practically laid eyes on Sabrina four years ago. Maybe soon he’d actually be able to act on it.

“Come on, Scratch,” Ambrose slapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s get you a drink and you can fill me in on what exactly happened to my cousin in that locker room.”

* * *

Usually Sabrina slept on her back, holding her stuffed toy bunny tightly against her chest with Salem curled up against her head. She didn’t move once she’d fallen asleep-- _like the dead_ as Zelda liked to fondly tell her, seeing it as a good thing. It had been the same since she was a toddler, the only change over the years was the addition of her familiar, and he usually didn’t come to join her until well after the Witching Hour, off on his own adventures until then.

Tonight was different though, nose twitching as she shook slightly, her movements almost indiscernible, but Salem woke, sensing the shift in Sabrina’s mind as she was pulled into a dream she didn’t want to be having. He rubbed his head against the top of her head, meowing quietly so he didn’t wake anyone else in the house, while trying to offer her some comfort and help.

She didn’t hear him in the dream though, and didn't notice anything different about the mortuary that she was walking through, letting the dream take her where it wanted. Her father’s bedroom wasn’t a place she entered often, regulated to only when he was home, but she was free to explore it to her heart’s content when she was in this state of being. It wasn’t quite the same, bits of it would be too hazy to really give her any answers, but it helped to ruminate over the last tidbit of information she had glimpsed.

Except the room was all wrong. 

The bed wasn’t the one he slept in and the vanity that was in her bedroom was in the place where one of his large wardrobes was usually located. Sabrina frowned, looking around to notice anything else out of the ordinary, trying to understand the changes when she heard a soft humming coming from behind her. It was a voice she’d never heard before, one that she longed to hear just once outside of these dreams, and she turned, spotting Diana Spellman walking through the doorway and heading toward the vanity.

Her mother was a little taller than she was, their hair the exact same shade, though her nose was more similar to her aunts. Sabrina sank down onto the ottoman, watching as her mother started to brush the tangles out of her wet hair, still humming to herself. 

Sabrina couldn’t identify the song, tried to memorize it as best she could, hopeful she’d remember it when she woke. She never dreamed of her often, cherishing these quiet glimpses of the woman who had died when she was only a few weeks old. Was she pregnant with her or was this from further back?

She stiffened when she realized that Diana was looking in the mirror, that her gaze was locked on Sabrina, and watched as her mother turned around. Her face was all wrong though, eyes sunken in, skin becoming taunt as she opened her mouth as if to scream. Tentacles erupted from it, swarming Sabrina and she flailed, trying to bat them away before shooting up in the bed, gasping for breath.

It took her a moment to stop batting at the air, Salem whining at her from the pillow and her bunny tossed clear across the room. 

Zelda had said that she might have dreams the closer it got to her Dark Baptism, that it was a side effect of the maturation of her powers, all of that build up before she took the final step down the Path of Night. Was that what they were supposed to be like? What kind of message was she supposed to glean from it? 

Sabrina shook her head as Salem curled up against her chest, purring as he rested his head on her shoulder. 

It was nothing. 

Probably just a side effect of the horror novel and the incident in the locker room. 

“Right?” she murmured as she slowly laid back down, curling onto her side and holding tightly to Salem. 

It was just a silly dream. Everything was fine.


	2. mean girls

Brother Lovecraft stood at the head of the class, surveying the witches and warlocks who had managed to make it into his class for the year. A mix of the two covens filled the room, all of them either born shortly before or after Edward Spellman had been allowed to move forward on this experiment. Witches in a mortal world, mortals knowing of them and interacting with one another on levels that hadn’t been done in at least a milenia. His gaze passed over each of them, taking note of who they were, before focusing on the blonde sitting at one of the front row desks. 

He was curious to see what Sabrina Spellman might be capable of doing. Being the daughter of the famed Edward Spellman meant she should have considerable power, but she was also the child of a mortal, suggesting she might be lesser than everyone else in this room as well though. Her birth had been allowed by the Dark Lord though, blessed by him if Edward was to be believed, adding only more uncertainty to which way the pendulum would swing in regards to the girl.

“You will find that I am not one who harbors mistakes in this class. You will listen, you will learn and you will ensure you take all safety precautions that are put in place to keep you and your classmates safe and sound,” Brother Lovecraft started, fixing his gaze on the Weird Sisters for a moment before moving on. 

Agatha looked down at her nails, not bothering to pay attention to what he said, while Dorcas was staring out the window. Only Prudence met his gaze, lifting her shoulders slightly as she clasped her hands together on the desk in front of her, a haughty smile tugging at her lips. 

“I need to see precisely where each of you are with your conjuration studies,” Brother Lovecraft continued, motioning for everyone to move their desks. “Draw your circles and bring forth what you can.” 

“If anything,” Agatha muttered, glancing over at Sabrina as her sisters laughed, stopping only at the look Brother Lovecraft directed their way.

She pursed her lips at that, before she narrowed her eyes. She’d _promised_ her father that she wouldn’t do anything flashy for this class. That she would reel in a bit of what she could already do. He’d warned her not to flaunt her power, to not showcase just how much she already had before her Dark Baptism. And she meant to do that, had planned on conjuring a wood nymph from deep within the forest, but the Weird Sisters’ laughter had her tightening her hands into fists, rethinking that plan.

_Just a wood nymph_ , she reminded herself as she waited her turn, watching the others conjure up different creatures from around the world. 

“Don’t worry if you can’t manage anything, half-breed,” Prudence started up, causing the other two to snicker, and Sabrina took a deep breath, working to ignore the other girl. “Everyone knows you haven’t had your Dark Baptism yet. They really should just have you sitting back and watching the rest of us. Maybe you’ll get some pointers.”

“All witches are born with some magic,” Sabrina reminded. The Dark Baptism was simply supposed to gift them their full potential. 

“Yes, but you’re not exactly a witch, now are you?” Prudence’s smile was meant to cut. “Not even your mother wanted to stay around and see what she’d born.”

“Can’t the same be said for yours?” Sabrina snapped, glaring at the other girl, cutting back just as deeply. 

Prudence’s sudden silence accompanied with that trademark icy glare was all Sabrina needed to see to know this conversation would be continued after class. She readied herself to throw up an anti-hexing spell just in case Prudence tried anything, knowing Brother Lovecraft’s presence wouldn’t do much to deter her. One of the warlocks from Nick’s coven stepped over toward Sabrina though, eyeing Prudence and her sisters as he stood next to Sabrina, a few others following suit. 

Sabrina raised her chin, practically daring the other girl to try anything. This wasn’t her against the Weird Sisters in the woods or any other similarly outmatched scenario she’d found herself in from time to time. The other warlocks and witches had her back. Especially now with her over in the same wing that they were usually in. 

Prudence pursed her lips at the display before shrugging, giving off an air of finding the encounter beneath her as she turned away, intent on finishing her circle.

“ _Lilith_ , their decency in bed hardly makes up for their attitudes,” Gerald grumbled as he nudged Sabrina. She arched a brow at the blonde warlock’s statement, shaking her head as the boy simply shrugged. “What are you thinking of trying for?”

“Still debating,” Sabrina told him as Elspeth moved to stand by them as well. 

“They think just because they constantly have the power of three that they’re better than the rest of us,” the other girl grumbled, scowling at the three’s backs. 

“Because we are,” Agatha cut the three of them a look before Prudence pulled her back to focus on their own circles. 

“Don’t let them get into your head, Sabrina,” Gerald continued, shaking his head as Elspeth swallowed hard, trying to take a step back as if she wanted the shadows to swallow her up. “I’d wager they’re just jealous because of your impeccable breeding. Even with the power of three they can't compete with the daughter of the High Priest.”

Sabrina wasn’t sure how to even reply to that, blinking at the use of ‘breeding’ being brought up. It really didn’t help that he winked at her either. 

“Sabrina never takes their shit,” Melvin murmured, offering Sabrina a shy smile before he looked back down at his circle. 

“Thanks, Meviln,” she murmured before moving to focus on her own circle. She worked to make the correct symbols on the ground as the Weird Sisters brought about a rusalka, the water splashing out onto the floor, erasing everyone else’s circles. 

“Ms. Spellman,” Brother Lovecraft motioned for her to go next once the rusalka had been banished, and Sabrina started on her circle again. 

Hers wasn’t quite like the others were, utilizing the adaptations her father had come up with for them. She heard Brother Lovecraft's slight gasp as he realized what she was managing to do, beckoning some of the others to step forward, pointing out the differences between her circle and the one the Weird Sisters had created. 

“The beauty of Father Spellman’s circles, such as the one Sabrina is making, is the simplicity of them,” Brother Lovecraft explained. “You do not need to know the exact symbols associated with the creature you want. It's all about the witch's intention."

Sabrina did know the symbols though, which made her circles even more potent. She could do these in her sleep by now, the flow of them something she’d memorized ages ago, having practiced the various symbols with chalk along floors of her father’s study when he was working from home, correcting her form whenever needed. She still doodled them from time to time in the pages of her notebooks. 

Sabrina completed the circle and stepped back, raising her chin slightly before speaking, “Evoco cù-sìth.”

The dark green shaggy dog appeared within the circle moments later, stalking around it and growling as he took in the others present. They couldn’t hear anything coming from the creature though, the circle she’d done creating a sound barrier. Sometimes that was useful to have up at first, knowing the creature or demon would try to attack whoever had conjured them. If any of them heard this one bark three times he could carry their souls with him back to Hell. 

Or so the legends went anyway. Plus first he had to catch them.

“Do you want me to let down the sound barrier?” Sabrina asked as she pressed a finger to her lips, getting the dog to close his mouth.

“I believe I’ve seen enough, Ms. Spellman,” Brother Lovecraft informed her, and she turned toward him, spotting the awe in his gaze. “Please banish the creature now.”

Sabrina did so, winking at the dog before it disappeared, feeling fairly pleased with herself. It was short-lived as she caught the Weird Sisters glares. “Come with me,” Brother Lovecraft continued, beckoning Sabrina forward. “The rest of you open up your books to page 12 and start memorizing the first table of symbols.”

She followed Brother Lovecraft out of the room and down the hall, not sure what was happening at first, tensing when she realized they were headed toward Father Blackwood’s office. “Don’t you have class, Brother Lovecraft?” Blackwood started when he looked up from his desk, lips curling into an unpleasant smile as he spotted Sabrina coming in behind the warlock. “Already getting into trouble, Ms. Spellman? It’s only the second day of school. I do believe this might be a record.”

“On the contrary, Father Blackwood,” Brother Lovecraft started, surprising them both as he motioned for Sabrina to sit down. “Sabrina, how long have you been learning conjuration under your father’s guidance?”

“All my life.” It seemed like honesty was probably a good idea right then.

“She’s on par with where the Scratch boy was when he first started classes,” Brother Lovecraft continued, and Sabrina smiled at how much that seemed to annoy the High Priest. “There is nothing I can impart on her that she doesn’t already know if her earlier display is any indication.”

“She’s a first year,” Father Blackwood started, but the other warlock was already shaking his head, undeterred. “And unbaptised at that.”

“She wouldn’t be the first to do an independent study in her first year,” Lovecraft pointed out and Sabrina sat a little taller at that. Nick was the only other one who had so far. Also in conjuration. Also thanks to learning what he had from her father. “And she’ll be having her baptism in two months, correct?” He looked over at Sabrina and she nodded. “Which, honestly, only convinces me further that she’ll learn nothing from me if she’s managed this before her Dark Baptism.”

Sabrina tried not to cringe at that. This is exactly what her father had been trying to avoid. "How does an unbaptized witch manage such a feat, Ms. Spellman?" Blackwood asked, watching her carefully.

"My father's conjuring circles require utilizing one's intention over their power level," Sabrina replied, hopeful that was enough. It wasn't exactly a lie, more a half truth.

“I see no reason to hold her back and will let Father Spellman know as much upon his return as well, of course,” Lovecraft continued, and Sabrina watched as the High Priest’s back stiffened at that. 

“It appears we’ll need to adjust your schedule a bit, Ms. Spellman,” Father Blackwood stated after a moment, and she focused on him, unable to stop smiling, knowing he was hating every moment of it. “She should be able to finish today with you and then start her independent study tomorrow.”

Brother Lovecraft nodded at that before motioning for Sabrina to follow him out again. Sabrina kept on grinning as she closed the door behind them, spotting the disdain on Blackwood’s face before he swiveled around in his chair. 

Today was already looking up.

* * *

“I have never been so happy to be finished with school for the day,” Theo groaned as he slid into the booth at Cerberus books, dropping his bag onto the floor. Sabrina slid in beside him, while Roz took up space across from them. 

“Why did I sign up to do yearbook again?” Roz asked as she rested her arms against the table, head following suit shortly after.

“I could ask the same about me signing up for the newspaper,” Theo muttered as he sank down against the cushioned seat, desperate for their sugary, fatty snack.

“This is where you’re supposed to complain about long cheerleading practices, Brina,” Roz supplied, eyeing their friend suspiciously.

“I like getting tossed in the air,” Sabrina replied as she pulled her shake to her, ducking the napkin Theo threw at her. 

“At least it means we all finish at the same time so we can still do this together,” Theo murmured, before reaching over for his shake as Harvey turned up carrying the tray with all of their other purchases. 

“Did you pick an after school thing yet, Harvey?” Roz asked before taking a sip of her strawberry shake, shaking her head as Sabrina dunked a fry into her chocolate one. Some things really didn’t change.

“I’m going to help with sets once the play starts up and then Mrs. Wilder said I could work on sculpture a few days a week,” Harvey told them, looking around at each, his gaze lingering a second longer on Sabrina before he looked back at Roz. “I need to work on that technique.”

“That’s good,” Sabrina told him, smiling softly when he looked back at her. He nodded at that, the tension that was in his shoulder slowly relaxing at her smile.

“Should keep my dad off my back about picking up a shift at the mines at least,” Harvey added, and they all nodded at that, knowing the mines were the last place he wanted to go.

“And you can still do the weekly comic for the paper, right?” Theo asked, pointing a fry at him.

“I’m not going to let you down on that, Theo,” Harvey promised, clinking glasses with the other boy as the door to the store opened, more teens from school heading inside and taking up the other booths. 

Nick headed away from the group of football players he’d arrived with and over to the table, Sabrina and Theo scooting closer to one another to give him some room on their side of the booth. “Sorry I’m late. Marlin was screwing around so Coach had us all run extra laps,” Nick shook his head, glaring over at the other jock who was heading to his table with his crew, holding back the urge to hex the boy as Theo handed over his milkshake.

“This explains why you stink,” Sabrina informed him before taking a sip of her milkshake to cover up her laughter.

“I do not stink,” Nick eyed her carefully, jabbing her in the side before he shook his wet hair at her, getting flecks of water on both her and Theo. 

Sabrina pushed at him. “This is why your familiar is a wolf,” she muttered as he tried to press his wet hair into her shoulder. 

Theo laughed as Sabrina kept scooting closer to him to evade Nick’s wet hair. He spotted Harvey watching the three of them, his friend’s lips thinning tightly at the two’s teasing, and knew he needed to try and get the conversation back on track. “Did you get to yell at Billy?”

Nick pulled back, snagging a fry from the tray as he settled into the booth, letting Sabrina move back to a more comfortable spot in the middle. “One more strike this week and he’s benched for Friday’s game.”

“Are you excited for it?” Roz asked, nudging Harvey to drink his untouched shake. “First one against Riverdale.”

“We’ve got to beat them,” Theo butted in, knocking his knuckles into Nick’s. 

“We’ve got a home field advantage,” Nick reminded him. Which usually helped whenever the games were between their rivals. 

“I think I’m covering it,” Roz added, swirling her straw in the shake. “Have to get some shots for the yearbook.”

“I know I am,” Theo told them. He was the resident sports reporter for the school paper.

“And I’ll be there cheering.” Sabrina raised her glass, doing a little shimmy in her seat. She was excited for her first official half-time show with the squad and all of the cheers they’d be doing during the game and at the pep rally Friday afternoon.

“For me,” Nick added and she threw a fry at him.

“For _everyone_ ,” Sabrina eyed him as he took a fry from her tray instead of his own.

“But most specifically me,” Nick told her before biting into the fry.

Sabrina tapped her lips. “I don’t know, that Carl Tapper is--”

“Don’t even finish that sentence,” Nick interrupted, narrowing his eyes at her before turning his attention back to the others. Harvey was staring at the two of them, doing that pinched nose thing he usually seemed to do whenever he was looking at Nick. “Are you coming to watch, Harvey?”

“You have to!” Theo told him, Roz and Sabrina nodding in agreement.

“We can all go out for burgers afterward,” Roz suggested, and the others all nodded at that idea. 

Harvey looked around at the group before nodding as well. “I’ll try to make it.”

The conversation turned toward classes and the school gossip of the last day, everyone filling each other in on anything and everything that happened, flowing easily. Roz watched as Nick leaned back against the booth, resting his elbow back against it as he brushed his hair back before letting his arm lay against the cushion behind Sabrina. She wouldn’t have normally made note of it, but Harvey stiffened beside her, noticing the same thing, and she watched his hand under the table tighten into a fist against his leg as he watched Sabrina turn toward the warlock, letting him know something. 

“Hey, everyone!”

The group turned their attention to two witches from Nick’s coven standing by the table, neither bothering to hide the way they looked him over before they glanced around at everyone. “We just wanted to make sure you’re coming tonight,” Lavina started, leaning against their table. "It's bound to be an exciting time. We have a new ritual to do.”

“You’re coming too, right, Sabrina?” Paige asked, attention focused on her and Sabrina looked between the two girls and then at Nick.

“To?” She didn’t have a clue what they were talking about.

“The gathering in the woods,” Lavina explained. “A little celebration for the new moon.”

“Sorry, no mortals are allowed at it, guys,” Paige told the others, frowning slightly as she looked at the others. They waved that off, eating their fries as they continued to listen in.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Sabrina replied, shrugging slightly. 

“You should!” Lavina told her, clasping her hands together. “With your birthday coming up you can start attending the get togethers now.”

“Getting to do magic with each other is something else,” Paige added, nodding in agreement. “Different vibe than when it's family magic.”

“Has to be all of the hormones,” Nick murmured, as he watched the other two try to convince Sabrina to go. 

“You’re coming though, right, Nick?” Lavina turned her attention to him and Sabrina rolled her eyes as the girl bit her lower lip while looking at him.

Nick nodded, winking at the witch. “I’ll be there.”

“You really should think about coming, Sabrina,” Paige continued, her attention still on Sabrina. “After your display in conjuring class, you’ll definitely be an asset.”

Sabrina pursed her lips at that. “I’ll think about it,” she settled on, noting that her other friends had all gone rather silent.

“No you won’t,” Nick murmured as he leaned toward her, his comment for her ears only, and she jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, pleased with his little ‘oof’. 

“I should head home.” Harvey was already scooting out of the booth and rising before anyone could protest, waving at them as the witches kept talking, trying to explain the gathering to Sabrina. 

“I have to get going too,” Theo sighed as he finished off his fries, getting Sabrina and Nick to get out of the booth so he could leave as well.

“Me too. I promised Grams I’d visit her tonight.” Roz locked her gaze with Sabrina, mouthing ‘I’ll call you’.

Paige and Lavina headed off as well, leaving Nick and Sabrina alone at the booth to finish off their shakes. “So I heard you got moved out of the conjuration class?” Nick turned his attention toward her as she leaned against the wall, cross legged on the bench as she faced him. 

“Apparently if you conjure a cù-sìth on your first day using a spell that your dad created and the teacher is still trying to perfect doing themselves, you get pushed up to independent study,” Sabrina grinned, sipping at the last of her milkshake. “Much to Father Blackwood’s dismay.”

Nick chuckled, unsurprised she’d done so. “I did a siren my first day which got me placed out of the class. Only you would go for something from Hell right off the bat.”

“I mean _technically_ it's more fairy related than Hell related,” Sabrina pointed out before scrunching her nose. “I’m still kind of hoping that doesn’t come up to my dad.”

“Cause he doesn’t want you doing the Hell ones?” Nick asked, remembering overhearing that particular conversation at the Spellman house last spring.

“I think it's the whole displaying that I can do it before the Dark Baptism part that he’s so against,” Sabrina frowned, still not sure why it wasn’t a good thing for her to do so. “A cù-sìth shouldn’t be that big of a deal at least.”

“I don’t know,” Nick finished off the last of the fries. “Probably has a few of them shutting up about your heritage.”

Sabrina snorted at that. “Somehow I doubt that will last.” It wasn’t everyone who said anything about her being part mortal, but the ones who did made sure she never forgot the fact that she was different from the rest of them. Which was fine. She wasn’t embarrassed to be part-mortal.

“But back to the independent study part. We could work together on it,” Nick suggested and Sabrina arched a brow at that.

“I think that means it wouldn’t be independent then?” Right? 

“The independent part means we need to figure out our own curriculum, not that we have to do it alone,” Nick informed her and she contemplated that for a moment. 

It couldn’t hurt to work with him on conjuration. He knew more than she did about it and Sabrina was well aware that Blackwood wouldn’t pull any punches when he assessed her techniques at the end of the semester. Working with Nick could only help her out really. 

She leaned forward, matching his smirk with one of her own. “What are you thinking?”

* * *

“Isn’t there a little witchling gathering tonight, cousin?” Ambrose asked as he yanked the book away from Sabrina. She’d been laying on the couch in the living room, Salem curled up beside her, one of the blankets draped across her. 

Sabrina sat up, reaching to get it back from him. Salem opened an eye, looking at the two and their antics before closing it again and shifting onto his side. “I can’t participate in an orgy even if I wanted to, which I don’t, so pass.”

“You don’t yet,” Ambrose told her as he settled down on the couch beside her, still keeping the book out of her reach. “Give it time. Your libido after your Dark Baptism might have you feeling different.”

He tapped her nose, enjoying the face she made at that, before bopping her on the head with the book. “But that won’t be what’s happening tonight. They know better than to fuck with a witch like that before her Dark Baptism. They’d have to go before the Council. And no one wants that, believe me.” He’d done his time in front of that lot and wouldn’t wish it on his own worst enemy. 

Sabrina leaned back against the couch, giving up on the book as her shoulders sagged. “What if I don’t like it?”

“Hmmm?” Ambrose turned the book over in his hand, unsurprised to see it was one of her horror novels.

“The witch gatherings,” Sabrina murmured, reaching for Salem and picking him up. He protested briefly until she cradled him to her chest, letting him get comfortable against her.

Ambrose arched a brow. “What makes you think that?”

Sabrina shrugged. “I don’t know. I just worry about it.”

“Why?” He nodded around the room. “You’ve done just fine with all of our traditions here and under Aunt Zee’s and your father’s tutoring. You go round after round with Nick on anything and everything witch related when you want to as well.”

Sabrina nodded, knowing he was right about all of that, but this felt different. “You turn sixteen in a little under two months, cousin,” Ambrose reminded, placing the book down on the coffee table in front of them. “You’re the High Priest’s daughter, _Edward Spellman’s_ daughter. You’re going to be attending more witch ceremonies and gatherings than you can possibly imagine after your Dark Baptism. It might not hurt to dip your toes in the water a little.”

She hated his logic. “I guess you’re right,” Sabrina conceded with a nod.

“And they’re all nice enough, aren’t they?” Ambrose prodded, bumping his knee into hers.

“Besides the Weird Sisters and their little crew, you mean?” Sabrina wrinkled her nose as she thought of that group.

Ambrose snorted. “Prudence and her sisters are like that to everyone.” He laughed at the indignant look Sabrina directed at him. “Just hex them back.”

“Oh, I do.” She just wished she didn’t need to.

“Then go to this gathering, have a little fun, make more of those witchy little bonds you’ll want to have going forward,” Ambrose suggested as she leaned against him. “You’ve got the mortal friendship down, cousin, but remember, the witch ones are those that will last with you for centuries. Can’t hurt to start building them even more now, hmm?”

Sabrina sighed at that, knowing he was right. She’d formed some of those bonds already, but except for her friendship with Nick, none of them were at the degree she had with her mortal friends. “I don’t have any homework so okay, fine, guess it can’t hurt to go.”

“That’s the spirit!” Ambrose tugged her up as he rose, jostling Salem who hissed at him over the disturbance to Sabrina being his pillow for the evening. “Might want to put on something else to wear though.”

“What’s wrong with what I have on?” Sabrina asked as she set Salem down on the couch, scratching her familiar behind the ear to pacify him. 

“This _is_ going to be in the woods, correct?” Ambrose pointed out and she nodded.

Right. Layers might be good. 

Half an hour and one wardrobe change later, Sabrina was bounding down the stairs into the foyer, Ambrose giving her a thumbs up for her outfit choice, while Zelda arched a brow as she walked into the area. “Where do you think you’re off to at this hour?” her aunt asked before taking a sip of her tea.

“I was invited to a witch gathering,” Sabrina informed her, shaking her head at how quickly that seemed to change her aunt’s tune on the matter of her leaving the house. 

“Then far be it from me to stop you,” Zelda told her before heading back toward the living room. Sabrina poked her head in, wanting to give Salem one more cuddle. Hilda sat in her usual chair, frowning deeply as Zelda hummed, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

“Make sure you’re home by--” Hilda started, looking up from her knitting.

“Oh pish,” Zelda interrupted. “Stay out as late as you need with the others, Sabrina. Enjoy yourself a little.”

Sabrina bent over, kissing Hilda’s cheek before dashing out of the mortuary and into the night. “She’s far too young,” Hilda muttered, jabbing a little too hard with her needles.

“She’s nearly sixteen,” Ambrose pointed out as he sat back on the couch, letting Salem curl up on his chest.

“A child still,’ Hilda pointed one of the needles at him and he held up his hands before moving to pet Salem. 

“One that needs to start walking in the world she was born to be in,” Zelda replied as she sat down in the other chair. “Far more than she has been these last few years.”

“I don’t have to like it,” Hilda muttered, ignoring the other two as she focused back on her knitting.

* * *

“You made it!” Paige grasped Sabrina’s hand as soon as she stepped into the clearing, pulling her over toward the fallen tree trunk that she and Lavina had taken over as their own. 

“I thought I should start seeing what these are all about,” Sabrina replied, letting the other witch lead her over.

She knew everyone in the clearing, all of the witches and warlocks around her age--every one of them older, some by a few months and others by a few years. But they were all the youngest of the two covens in Greendale, with her being the youngest of both. Paige was the next in that line, sixteenth birthday having been in August, while the Weird Sisters rounded out the older group, all three eighteen. 

“Not that different from parties that Billy throws,” Paige told her, motioning toward the gold goblet that was hovering in the air before handing her a cup. “Just with a little more magic and less keg stands.”

“It's when you go to Dorian’s that things really get spicey,” Lavina added, leaning back against the trunk as the goblet tilted forward, pouring some sort alcohol into Sabrina’s cup. 

“You should figure out who you want to go with for your first night there,” Paige told Sabrina after tapping her cup against hers. 

“Go with?” Sabrina frowned, not quite sure what the other girl meant by that.

“With the constant rush that runs through you in that place, it always helps to know who you’re going to end up in bed with,” Lavina explained, nodding toward the group of warlocks gathered off to the side. “I wouldn’t go with Gerald. He’s not much of a giver.”

Sabrina spotted the blonde warlock joking around with a few of the others. She still hadn’t forgotten his comment from earlier that day, knowing he was definitely _not_ a contender. Not that anyone was.

“Melvin’s alright, but don’t expect it to last very long,” Paige nodded toward the warlock from Sabrina’s coven. “But decent enough for your first.”

“Cyrus was fine, unless you’re wanting something a little different then I recommend Abigail,” Lavina added, nodding toward where another group of witches were sitting and Sabrina spotted the brunette looking appreciatively at her. “She definitely knows how to please.”

“Good to know,” Sabrina murmured before taking a sip of her drink. 

“What are you ladies up to?” Nick asked as he stopped in front of them, a lazy smile on his face as he looked them over. Sabrina watched as Lavina stretched, getting the shirt she was wearing to slide up, Nick’s gaze moving to the expanse of skin being revealed.

“Giving Sabrina options for her first time at Dorian’s,” Paige replied, and Sabrina forced down the drink she’d just taken, not wanting to spit it out.

Nick took in the reddening of Sabrina’s cheeks and bit back a chuckle, offering her a hand. “Come on, you need to mingle.”

“I just got here,” Sabrina protested even as she took his hand, letting him help her up. It seemed like a better idea than sticking around and discussing future sex options. 

“You don’t actually need to have sex when you go to Dorian’s,” Nick told her as they walked away from the girls. “There’s definitely rooms for it and a few other activities, but most just go to dance, drink, and talk.”

“And make out,” Sabrina murmured. “Or at least Ambrose seems to always tell me about who he at least ended up making out with while there.” And that was only if it was a slow night. 

“Your cousin is kind of making up for lost time,” Nick reminded and Sabrina knew he was right about that. Ambrose had only gotten off his house arrest last year and after seventy-five years of not being able to go anywhere but the mortuary her cousin was definitely about experiencing all he could again. 

“I thought we were going to mingle.” Sabrina offered up a small smile, needing to change the conversation as Nick nodded toward the group of warlocks and witches that had started mixing together. “Even if I already know who everyone is.”

“And everyone already knows you,” Nick pointed out, watching her scrunch her nose at that. “Part of the package of being the High Priest’s daughter.”

“Whatever, High Priest's son,” Sabrina stuck her tongue out at him, thankful when he laughed, the nervous jitters that had been taking over dissipating at the sound of it. 

“Did you really conjure a cù-sìth?” Aeneas asked as the two stepped over to the group, spotting Sabrina easily enough.

“I saw it,” Elspeth started, and another of the witches from the Coven of Night nodded along with that. “How did you make it that it couldn’t bark though?”

“Oh, it was making noise,” Sabrina explained, watching her friend’s eyes widen at that. “My father created a way so you can have a sound barrier in your circles so anything that you bring forth can’t verbally attack you right away.”

“Seriously?” Aeneas asked, glancing over at Nick. “Why hasn’t Brother Lovecraft taught us that yet?”

“He might not know it,” Sabrina replied, shrugging. “It was kind of a theoretical idea. I don’t think my dad has revealed it to the others just yet.”

“We found it in one of his journals,” Nick added, and Sabrina nodded, remembering that rainy day. “Tried it out a few times after that with a few creatures and it's worked each time since then.”

“Do you get to see a lot of his theoretical work?” one of the others asked and Sabrina nodded.

“Usually I do, yeah.” Sabrina nodded toward Nick. “So does Nick.”

“It works on demons?” one of the older warlocks asked--she was pretty sure that was Wade.

“It does,” Nick replied, knowing it was better if Sabrina didn’t confirm that one. She shouldn’t have been dealing with anything demon related yet. Not before her Dark Baptism.

“Think you guys can teach us that one?” Gerald asked, a few of the others nodding along. 

“I think there’s already plans for this gathering,” Nick nodded toward the half moon in the sky. “But we should be able to at the next one. If you’re up for it, Spellman?”

“I’m up for it,” Sabrina confirmed, knowing he’d phrased it that way on purpose. There would be no backing out from the next witch gathering for her now. She narrowed her eyes at him, lips pursed as she took in his little victory smirk. 

Sabrina eased into the conversations that were happening around her, the discussions more related to magic than she ever had with her other friends, almost similar to the ones she had when it was just her and Nick one on one, but not quite like that either. It was nice though to be able to talk about different theories and share tips on where to find different plants in the forest or how to get around some of their magic teachers' stickler ways, even a few for how to get one over on Father Blackwood. 

“Now that we’ve finished with the mindless chatting,” Prudence stated as she arrived in the clearing with Agatha and Dorcas. “Can we move on to why we’re all here?” 

She crossed her arms, looking out at the group, chin raised as she assessed how quickly they nodded along, noting which ones didn’t. She wasn’t surprised by a few, like Nick just shaking his head at her, but she pursed her lips when she spotted Sabrina standing next to him, wondering who exactly had invited the girl. She’d need to find out later. 

No matter. Considering her display in school earlier, Prudence supposed she wasn’t a complete waste of space. Power like Sabrina held could be utilized. Even Father Blackwood had to see that. 

They moved to form a circle, everyone holding hands, and Prudence cut Dorcas a look, noting that her sister was busy glaring at Nick who was holding Sabrina’s hand and another warlock’s instead of focusing on what was to come. Her sister straightened up, nodding that she was ready. 

“Think of something you want to expand upon in your life right now,” Prudence started, looking out along the circle. “A new start, a pull toward something greater. Focus on it as we chant, let it out into the night sky.” She settled on Sabrina. “And if he deems you worthy the Dark Lord might grant you favor.”

She had to hand it to the girl, she never did seem to cower at her looks like so many of the others did, simply raised her chin slightly and stared at her head on. It was kind of refreshing, though still rather annoying. 

Sabrina took a deep breath as Prudence looked away from her, starting the chant. It took her a few moments to pick up on it, feeling Nick squeeze her hand, helping her center herself as she started saying the words in time with the others. Energy seemed to whirl through them, her heartbeat picking up speed as the magic flowed freely and wildly. 

She’d experienced something similar when doing spells with her family before, but this was different. It wasn’t Spellman bonds that ran through this group, tying them together. Sabrina wasn’t quite sure what it was. With her family it felt almost soothing to do magic together, like another version of coming home--strong and steady. 

This was frenzied, building one sensation on top of the other, and she remembered Nick muttering something about hormones earlier in the day. Was that what this was--this rush that whipped through and around her, hugging her tightly and seeming to ignite something deep within her. 

Sabrina had almost forgotten Prudence’s directive to think about something she wanted to expand in her life, some new start. There were so many to choose from, far too many options for her to focus on, and she closed her eyes as she tried to pick one. Nick must have felt the tension that had spread through her body over the uncertainty of her choice, giving her hand that quick double squeeze, the one they used to let the other know that they had their back, no matter what. 

She wanted more of _this_ , this sense of beauty and power and freedom that encircled all of them, to make her father proud, to be the daughter he needed her to be, that pinnacle of centuries of work he’d focused much of his life on. 

And to be her. Whoever that might be.

The chanting stopped, energy that they’d created releasing into the sky above them in a flash of light before they dropped their hands, everyone taking a deep breath before moving back into the earlier groups. 

Sabrina headed off to the side with Nick, falling back into the conversations from earlier as they took a seat on one of the fallen tree trunks. She leaned against him, trying to stifle a yawn as she listened to the others continue to talk around them. He rested his head against hers, arm slipping around her waist to help her get a little more comfortable, ignoring the pointed look he was receiving from Prudence. He’d deal with her opinions tomorrow, content with enjoying the press of Sabrina’s small body against his side.

* * *

“You’re pathetic, Nicky.” 

Nick rolled his eyes at Prudence’s voice. He was impressed he’d managed to avoid her for most of the week and a few days into the next, knowing full well that she’d been waiting to say that to him since the witchling gathering. He didn’t bother looking up from the demonology book he was browsing through as she sat down on the table next to him. 

“I know you’ve been salivating after her since practically forever but have a little pride,” Prudence continued as she flicked her wrist, slamming the book shut.

He barely had time to wrench his hand back and sighed, looking over at her. “What do you want, Pru?” Nick asked, crossing his arms as he took her in.

“It's not about what _I want_.” Her voice had an icy chill to it that he was used to her doling out on first years and not directing toward him. It was almost amusing to see how annoyed she was with him. As long as she didn’t end up hexing him and with how she narrowed her eyes at his little smirk, Nick wasn’t so sure she wouldn’t. “It's about who you keep circling around, waiting for any little scrap Sabrina gives you.”

Nick shook his head at that, not liking the way she was painting his friend. “She’s not like that.” Sabrina didn’t dole out scraps of attention to people. She was full-on in with her friends, with anything and everything she did. Subtlety wasn’t a specialty of hers. 

“Well she’s definitely not putting out,” Prudence replied, holding up a hand when he tried to reply. “And don’t try that whole she hasn’t had her Dark Baptism line with me. We both know she won’t after that either.”

Nick looked back at his book, shrugging. Getting Sabrina into his bed was hardly the only reason he’d ever started hanging out with her and definitely not the reason he had continued doing so. Friendship--at least the kind the mortals seemed to develop between one another--was a foreign concept to witches. But Nick had seen it in action for years now, had been pulled into Sabrina’s friendship circle and built a few of his own with Theo and a few of the other guys on the football team. It was something he knew Prudence didn’t understand or appreciate, still very much at the peripheral in all things mortal, even if she attended Baxter High. 

“Why are you throwing away a perfectly good thing that you have going?” Prudence continued, nodding out at the others in the library, noting those who were looking over at them, the lingering stares that quite a few directed toward Nick. “You’re desired by practically every mortal, witch and warlock in this town.”

“Your point?” Nick asked as he opened the book, turning back to the page he’d been on.

“Really think you could give all of that up?” Prudence asked, leaning in toward him as she tucked her fingers under his chin to make him look up. She smirked at that hitch in his breath as he got an eyeful of her chest before she yanked on his curls. “You think little Sabrina Spellman is going to be able to live up to your particular appetites? She’s vanilla, Nick.”

Nick shook his head at that, scoffing at her description. “You don’t know her at all if you think Sabrina is anything like vanilla.”

Sabrina was a forest fire, consuming everything in her path if she wanted to, igniting new life in that path of destruction and he wanted her to consume all of him, to bury his head in her lap and let her stroke his hair like he’d seen her do to Harvey. To see just how far that blush of hers extended when he helped her remove each piece of clothing, to taste every inch of her.

He wanted to be worthy of that thing called love. 

He wanted her to think he was worthy of hers. 

“I know you won’t be satisfied,” Prudence replied and he shrugged off her touch. “You weren’t even satisfied with three of us. What chance does the half-breed have of keeping up with you?”

“She won’t have to fuck with my mind so I think she’s already got a leg up on you,” Nick snapped, pulling away when she tried to touch his hair again.

Her eyes narrowed at that, lips pulled into the nastiest of smiles. “Don’t come crawling back to us when she breaks you in two,” Prudence told him before sliding off the table. 

Nick waved her off, throwing up an anti-hex spell as soon as she stepped away, not quite trusting Prudence not to retaliate to his indifference to her warnings. 

The thing the other witch didn’t seem to realize that Nick didn’t care if Sabrina ended up breaking him. Not as long as she was there to pick up the pieces and help make him whole again once all was said and done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for coming along on this new journey with me for this story. We got a glimpse of what the relationships between the other witches and Sabrina and Nick is like, as well as their relationships with the mortals in town. There will definitely be more of that coming up as well.
> 
> Next chapter we'll have some more dreams (I love dreams), Nabrina, Theo and Nick, Roz and Sabrina, and Edward and Nathaniel come back to Greendale.


	3. cautionary tale

Sabrina pressed on through the forest, pushing through the branches and undergrowth. The lights of the torches were further off than before, the glow of them not quite as visible when she looked back. She knew she couldn’t stop moving though, doing that would mean that they would find her and bring her back and that wasn’t allowed to happen.

She needed to get to the Sweetwater River. 

She didn’t know why, didn’t even know exactly who was chasing after her, but the need to keep moving pressed at her, the goal laid out before her, echoing in her mind. 

_Just a little further, almost there now_.

She tripped over a root, nearly tumbling down onto the ground, but caught her footing at the last second, grabbing onto a branch to help right herself. The root moved though, wrapping tightly around her ankle, trying to pull her backwards, back toward the lights that had gotten closer. The branches of the trees whipped at her skin, slicing in her cheeks, against her forearms as she kept trying to press on, crawling through the underbrush.

She could hear the sound of the rushing river, knew it had to only be a few more feet away.

So close and yet somehow too far away all at the same time. 

She yanked at the root, pulling it from the ground and causing its hold to release, allowing her to press through the underbrush and out of the thicket. There were voices she couldn’t quite make out yelling, calling for someone but the words weren’t clear, her ears seeming to ring and Sabrina pressed her hands to her them, trying to get the noise to stop.

She lost her footing, skidding down the steep incline and nearly tumbled into the riverbank. Rough hands grabbed hold of her, yanking her backward and she thrashed in the grip, trying to break free. She couldn’t see who had hold of her, nothing about the situation making sense as she was dragged backward and dropped into the middle of a group of people. 

Even more confusing was her mother’s reflection looking back at her as she looked down into the puddle. 

Sabrina shot up in bed as she woke, gasping for air. Salem was already butting his head into her side, trying to get her to pick him up as he moved to crawl into her lap. She scooped him up without hesitation, holding tightly to him as she replayed the dream in her head, trying to make any sense of it. 

Why was her mother running through the woods?

Who was chasing after her?

Why was she dreaming it as though she’d been her mother?

Salem purred against her neck, the vibrations of it soothing the ache in her heart a little, helping to calm the trembling in her limbs. Sabrina sucked in a breath, focusing on the rest of the mortuary, wondering if any of them were awake. She couldn’t hear any movement though, no sounds coming from her aunts or Ambrose’s rooms. 

Slowly she settled back against her pillows, Salem still tucked up against her, licking away at her hand as she pet him. She glanced at her clock, noting that it had just passed one, but Sabrina had no intention of trying to sleep again, not wanting another rehash of that particular dream. She pulled out the well worn journal from her side table instead and traced her fingers over her father’s handwriting on the cover. 

Now seemed like as good a time as any to start on the next journal.

* * *

Something was off. 

Nick couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was exactly, but he knew when she wasn’t quite her usual self. This wasn’t some sort of bodyswap or possession deal though like he’d thought the first time he’d ever sensed something was wrong with her--which _really_ shouldn’t have been that surprising that he’d jumped to that conclusion considering their lives. But no, something was going on in that head of hers or had happened at the mortuary before school that had her not quite at the level of wakefulness that she usually was by now. 

“What’s going on, Sabrina?” Nick asked, tapping the eraser of his pencil into her elbow.

They were sitting at the same table, paper spread out in front of them with different summoning symbols drawn about it. Him at the head of the table and her sitting on the right side of him, books scattered about and opened to different pages that they were referencing. 

“Hmmm?” she asked, not looking up from the symbol she was working to draw. 

Someone dropped a book behind them, the sound of it hitting the floor echoed through the quiet library and Nick watched as she jumped a little at that, rising from the chair. Slowly she sunk back down onto it, tucking her curls behind her ears as she slowly drew in a breath. Nick drew the eraser down her forearm until she looked over at him, arching a brow as she sighed.

“I just didn’t get a lot of sleep,” Sabrina murmured, shrugging.

“Salem hogging the covers again?” he asked, and he watched her carefully.

“Something like that.” She nodded and turned back toward the drawing.

Her smile at his joke didn’t quite meet her eyes though and he frowned, laying his hand on her forearm, knowing that would get her to look at him again. Physical touch was something she always turned toward. “What happened?”

Sabrina furrowed her brow as she pressed her lips together, not sure where to start or what parts to even say. “Did you have...I don’t know, weird dreams before your Dark Baptism?”

“What do you mean?” Nick asked, keeping up the steady brush of his finger against her arm.

“I don’t know,” she reiterated, shoulders drooping slightly. “Aunt Zee says dreams pick up before it but…”

He didn’t like that worried look in her eyes, something too close to fear settling in her gaze. “Might help to talk about it?” Nick suggested, thankful that she nodded.

“I had one last week where I was in my dad’s room and my mom was brushing her hair but when she turned around to see me tentacles shot out of her mouth.” Sabrina shook her head before he could reply. “And I know, maybe it's because of what I experienced in the bathroom, right?” 

He nodded, noting that she was trembling under his touch. “But then last night I was running from something in the woods in my dream. I thought all of these people were trying to get me and I just needed to get to the river and I’d be okay.”

Nick took hold of her hand, giving it a squeeze as her gaze seemed to turn far away even as she was looking at him. “And someone did catch me and when I saw my reflection it wasn’t me, Nick.” He wiped at the tear that had slid down her cheek. “I was my mom.”

It had rattled her badly, still did when she thought about it. “I can see why you wouldn’t be able to sleep after that,” Nick murmured, squeezing her hand again as she closed her eyes and took another breath, working to center herself. The table they were using had started to rattle slightly and she didn’t want her emotions reflecting outward like that. 

“What were you doing before bed last night?” Nick asked, wondering if an answer might lie in that.

Sabrina shook her head as she looked back at him. “Some homework, had tea with my aunties.”

“Did you read anything?” He knew she sometimes did before bed.

“No. Nothing.” She’d been too tired to focus on her book.

Nick nodded, racking his brain for anything else that might be causing what she was experiencing. “Are you anxious about your Dark Baptism?”

“I mean, a little,” Sabrina conceded as she leaned back in the chair. “It’s a big deal, you know? And I just want to make sure it goes perfectly.” It needed to be perfect. So much of her father’s plans and the community he’d created was riding on her being able to sign the Book of the Beast and gain her full potential. 

“It will,” Nick tried to reassure her and she was grateful for the smile he offered up and the calming grip of his hand on hers. “Maybe that’s what this is about? Your dreams manifesting your anxiety about it?”

“Maybe.” It would kind of make sense if that was the case. “What if I mess part of it up? I could forget some words or what if I can’t sign the book?” What if she tried and the book wouldn’t accept her signature?

“Hey,” Nick tilted her chin so she was looking at him. “The Dark Lord gave your parents His blessing to have you, remember? You’re going to be able to sign it just like everyone else in both covens has. If he didn’t want you to do that then why would you already have all this power that runs through your veins?”

That was true. She did have magic like the others did before their Dark Baptisms. 

“You should write the dreams down,” Nick told her and she arched a brow at that. "Sometimes it helps to figure a dream out if you write it down.”

Sabrina nodded before taking another breath. She motioned back toward their work. “Okay, enough focus on me, let’s get back to figuring out which sigils we want to use for this spell.”

Neither of them noticed that they were being watched, that they had been during their entire interaction. Harvey hadn’t meant to do so but he couldn’t seem to look away once he’d spotted them when he’d entered the library. He’d almost headed over to join them at the table, knowing he could work silently on his drawing exercises. 

But he’d seen the way Nick leaned into her, the way the other boy kept touching Sabrina, that constant draw of his fingers against her skin that she wasn’t sliding away from like she had before. She leaned into it now, didn’t quite push the warlock away like she had when the two of them had been dating. 

He didn’t have any right to but he _hated_ seeing them like this, that it seemed out of all the guys at the school Sabrina could move onto next that it was Nick Scratch--the one guy Harvey _knew_ he never quite compared to. He’d known it since meeting the cocky asshole who’d wormed his way into their friends group, somehow exuding coolness to everyone even though the guy was a huge nerd. No one who read as many books as Nick did was supposed to be included in the cool crowd. And not just tangentially associated with them, not some hanger on that somehow got included in on parties and gatherings.

No, Nick was the star of the football team, bringing their once loser team to the Varsity statewide championship three years running so far. He was a warlock and incredibly powerful if the things Harvey overheard in the hallway were true. Just a quick glance around the room would show Harvey that half the room was sneaking glances toward the guy.

It still didn’t make sense to Harvey how the warlock had managed it. 

Sabrina laughed, that sound that used to have Harvey grinning from ear to ear, but now had him frowning as he watched her lean into Nick, pushing against the warlock’s chest, her hand never actually leaving it as the two turned back to whatever it was that they were looking at. 

Harvey turned his attention back to his sketchbook, focusing on the flames he’d been trying to draw and tried to blot out the sound of her laughter as it echoed in the library once again.

* * *

It didn’t seem to matter how much his confidence had grown, how much he’d changed since last year when he’d realized all that he did, Billy Marlin and his crew still managed to make Theo feel like he was an ant waiting to be crushed under their shoes. He could stand up to them, hurl their insults back in their faces, but that didn’t seem to matter to them in the least, only fueling their need to keep going at him. He was ready to go to blows, knowing that it was four against one, but he was so _tired_ of being the one to always slink off and hide from the group. 

“Oh look, it's Brainless Billy and his little thug gang,” someone started from behind Theo, causing the others to look that way as well.

Theo watched the group stiffen as they took in one of the warlocks from Nick’s coven--Theo was pretty sure the guy’s name was Aeneas. “Just because your fragile little mind can’t comprehend something outside of the box you’ve placed yourself in doesn’t mean that Theo has to endure your pointless jabs,” another warlock continued, coming to stand on the other side of Theo. 

Billy and the others brows furrowed, not quite sure what was being said. “What he means is hurry along before we turn you into a toad,” Aeneas informed them and Theo smirked as he watched Billy swallow at that, eyes widening.

“Y-you can’t do that,” Billy stammered out, his friends group hesitantly nodding their heads to that.

“Do you really want to chance it?” the other warlock asked before the two started saying something in Latin. Theo had no idea what it was, but Billy and the others were hurriedly backing off, muttering apologies as they headed down the street. 

“Thanks,” Theo looked between the two warlocks, offering up a smile as they nodded. 

“You’re Scratch and Spellman’s friend,” Aeneas told him with a shrug. “And those guys get on my nerves with their simple minded thoughts. You good to go wherever you’re headed?”

Theo nodded toward Cerberus books. “Nearly there.” He waved to them and headed over to the store, not wanting to come face to face with Billy and the others again any time soon. 

A quick look over at the cafe side of the store revealed that Nick wasn’t in that area. Theo didn’t know why he’d headed to that part of the store first, shaking his head as he walked back over to the area lined with bookshelves. He maneuvered between the stacks, finding his friend in the middle of the horror novel section, a stack of books at his side while he perused the others. 

“I swear between you and Brina this place is never going to go out of business,” Theo commented, shaking his head as Nick looked up.

Nick was ready to comment on that but paused, sensing Theo’s frayed nerves. “What happened?”

Theo shrugged as he took a seat on the floor. “Billy thought he was being funny. It’s cool, Nick. Aeneas and Gerald,”--at least he was _pretty sure_ that’s what the guy’s name was-- “already dealt with them.”

“Good.” Nick couldn’t help but frown though, knowing he’d need to have it out with Billy and his little crew too. 

Theo picked up one of the books, looking over the cover before turning it over in his hands as Nick pulled out another book from the case. “Everything is fluid with you guys, isn’t it?” Theo asked, causing Nick to glance over at him again.

“What do you mean?” Nick asked as he finally rose, waving the stack of books up with him. 

“Attraction, sex, all of it,” Theo told him as he handed over the book, following after Nick. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s not looked down on that you like who you like or how many you like even.”

They headed over to the counter, setting the books down for Nick to pay for. Dr. Cee waved them off toward the cafe part, letting them know he’d get those sorted after he finished with the burgers he was putting together. The two headed over to a booth, sliding in on opposite sides. “You still get some who make comments about the amount of people, but not that many,” Nick replied as he leaned forward. “Especially not if they’re participating in group sex. I mean, sex magic is something you can study and very potent to use for spellwork.”

Theo supposed that made sense. “What about relationships?”

“What do you mean?” Nick asked, nodding to two girls who walked by, giving them a quick wink that had them giggling at each other as they passed by.

“I mean, I know Sabrina’s dad and mom were married,” Theo started. He was pretty sure that was the case anyway. 

“My parents were too,” Nick informed him and Theo leaned forward at that. “Just they were in their late four hundreds when they married and Sabrina’s dad was nearly six hundred.”

Theo’s eyes widened at that, trying to comprehend those kinds of ages. “That’s… _wow_. It is really hard to think like that. When did your parents meet?”

Nick pressed his lips together, trying to remember what his mother had used to tell him. “1804. Got married in the 1910s. They didn’t have me until after being married for basically a century.”

“So you guys don’t really settle down or anything until way later?” Theo asked, watching as Nick nodded.

“If at all. Some warlocks and witches never do the marriage thing.” Nick didn’t like the way Theo seemed to frown at that, as if the other boy was realizing something for the first time. “What’s up?”

“I just…” Theo paused, swallowing as he tried to get the words right. “I kind of worry for Sabrina with that.”

“Why do you say that?” Nick asked, focus pulled away from who had been walking by the table when Theo mentioned her name.

“I don’t think she thinks like that. In terms of centuries.” She never talked about things that far off at least. Her plans all seemed to be for the next few months, _maybe_ a year in advance.

Nick shook his head. “She doesn’t. It takes time to get to that point.”

“But you do,” Theo pointed out. “You don’t think of things in the next few months or years, do you?”

“No.” 

Not to the extent that he knew Sabrina did. He wasn’t sure if that was because she was part mortal or simply because she’d been immersed in the mortal world since birth. The others in their covens might have taken to living among them but they were still a great deal apart from them. Nick might have been attending school with them for a few years now, longer than any other from the covens beside Sabrina, but aside from Theo, Roz and tangentially Harvey he didn’t have any long lasting bonds. They were the only ones he thought he would come to miss with time.

Theo’s frown seemed to deepen at that. “Do you think she’ll be lonely?” 

Nick shook his head at that, the certainty in his voice surprising the two of them. “I won’t let her be, Theo.”

Theo believed him, before leaning back against the booth. He’d learned if Nick said something like that then he meant it and would do whatever in his power to make it happen. Which was good because he was the only one of their friend group that would be around Sabrina when she did reach that first century. That was definitely enough time for going down that black hole of a conversation though.

“Did I tell you about seeing my Aunt Dorothea again?” Theo asked, working to change the course of the conversation.

“Ghost ancestor, right?” Nick asked, pretty sure that’s who his friend was referring to.

“That’s the one.” Theo nodded as Nick leaned forward, watching Theo intently.

“What happened this time?” Nick asked, because ghost ancestors didn’t show up to mortals without a reason.

* * *

Sabrina plucked at another of the crisp, red apples, sighing as she placed it into her basket. Roz turned toward her, spotting her friend’s pinched lips as she surveyed the trees, looking for the perfect apples for Hilda. 

“For someone who’s apple picking you look very glum right now,” Roz called over, watching Sabrina wrinkle her nose at that. She kept up her pointed look at her friend, letting her know she wasn’t going to let up on her line of questioning.

“So apparently for the Homecoming game, the cheerleaders have to wear one of the football players' jerseys,” Sabrina told her, pulling a little harder than necessary at one of the apples. Roz pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh at her friend’s indignation. 

“We have to ask the players for their jersey and they have to agree and practically everyone on the squad already has their intended target to ask next week,” Sabrina continued as she headed down the ladder, meeting Roz on the ground. 

“Just ask Nick,” Roz suggested, bumping her elbow into Sabrina’s as they headed down the orchard rows, waiting for Sabrina to pick the next suitable tree. She knew better than to question her friend’s apple picking method at this point. 

“That was kind of my plan, but Prudence and Agatha had him the last two years and now it's Dorcas’ turn,” Sabrina shrugged, not surprised at all by the Weird Sisters' possessive streak. 

Roz arched a brow at that before tugging on Sabrina’s jacket to get her to stop walking. “You really think Nick is going to give Dorcas his jersey if you ask first?” Because Roz thought it’d be a cold day in Hell before that ever happened. “I mean, really Brina, even if you don’t ask first I can’t see him saying yes to her.”

“Okay, you have a point there, but I think Lizzie might want to ask him,” Sabrina shrugged. Lizzie was sweet, she _liked_ her, so she didn’t really want to step on the girl’s toes. “They got milkshakes or whatever that means at the beginning of the year.”

“But have they done anything since then?” Roz asked as Sabrina nodded toward a tree.

“I don’t think so? But I don’t really check his entertainment schedule,” Sabrina murmured as she headed up the ladder.

Roz snorted at that. “Mmmhmmm.”

Sabrina looked down, eyeing her friend who smiled up at her. “I’m just saying ask him unless you want to get saddled with Billy,” Roz continued and Sabrina nearly dropped her basket at that.

“Don’t even put that idea out into the world, Rosalind!” She’d rather get witchpox before having to wear anything of Billy Marlin’s. 

“Guess you’re going to need to ask Nick then,” Roz prodded before tilting her head. “Though knowing Nick, he might just assume it's going to you anyway since you’re on the squad.”

Sabrina scoffed at that, placing another apple into her basket. “We’re still going to be Twinsies for Twin Day?”

“You don’t have to do it with someone on the squad?” Roz asked and Sabrina shook her head. “Then definitely still up for that. Figure out what you’re wearing to the Homecoming dance?”

“I haven’t really thought that much about it,” Sabrina admitted, though she knew she was going to be expected to go since she was on the Varsity squad.

“Is it weirding you out that you’re not going with Harvey?” Roz asked and Sabrina looked down at her friend. 

“A little.” They’d gone to every school dance together since seventh grade. Not going to this one was a little jarring but she didn’t regret her decision to end things. 

“If you want a new date, Eddie has been checking you out during homeroom every single day since we came back to school,” Roz suggested as Sabrina started down the ladder.

“I’m pretty sure he’s checking _you_ out,” she laughed, losing her footing on the second to last step. 

Roz grabbed hold of her, helping to steady Sabrina as she tried to keep the basket upright so the apples wouldn’t spill out and bruise. The wind was knocked out of Roz as soon as she touched Sabrina though, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as her vision shifted to the possibilities of what might come to be. On some level she was aware of Sabrina calling her name and moving to sit with her on the ground, but her focus was on the images playing out around her through the hazy fog. 

She was certain that she was in the Greendale woods, even if she didn’t recognize exactly where she was. There was some kind of chanting happening off to the right that turned to screams as she moved toward it. Roz couldn’t quite make out who was there in the clearing but she spotted Sabrina’s red jacket, saw her friend lashing out against the trees that were clawing at everyone in the area. Blood streaked the ground, her friend’s hair twisted in the branches as she was pulled into the air, trying to lash out against them.

Roz sucked in a deep breath as the vision stopped, snapping her back to the present. Sabrina was smoothing back her hair. “Do you need to sit down? I think I have water in my bag,” Sabrina murmured, nodding toward the bag she’d dropped onto the ground.

“Brina, be careful in the woods, okay?” Roz tightly gripped her friend’s arm, needing to get that part out as she tried to steady her breathing.

“What did you see?” Sabrina asked as she got the bottle of water, undoing the top before handing it to Roz.

Roz took a moment to take several sips, letting the coolness of the water help settle her. “The trees...it was like they were alive and trying to hurt you.”

Sabrina pursed her lips at that, making a mental note of it, not liking how it tied into her dream from the other day. “I’ll be careful,” she assured Roz before helping the girl up. “Come on, let’s get some food into you. It usually helps.”

* * *

Nick walked side by side with Sabrina through the Greendale woods, unable to hide his smile as she practically bounced beside him. She’d been worried about something before they had met up with the other witchlings but now she was a bundle of excess energy, hands constantly moving as she talked to him. 

“I’m not sure which was better, getting to show everyone one of my dad’s spells or the fact that Prudence was all begrudgingly thankful that we taught her it,” Sabrina told him, rubbing her hands together in a move that reminded him a lot of Ambrose in that moment.

Nick bumped his shoulder into hers, enjoying the laughter that bubbled out of her before she slowed down. “Is it always like this after group magic?” she asked after a moment.

“Like what?” he asked, meeting the new pace she’d set for them.

“This…” She pressed her lips together, trying to work out how to describe it as she turned to face him, walking backwards, trusting he wouldn’t let her smack into a tree. “Like I feel like I could take on anything or anyone and not even break a sweat. It’s like, you know that rinky dinky rollercoaster that they bring out for the festivals?”

“Yeah,” Nick nodded, well aware of the death trap she was referring to.

“You know that one drop that it does, the one that turns into going upside down? And that like constant excitement tinged with a little bit of fear as you plummet?” Sabrina asked as she looked up toward the treetops, letting her arms reach out toward it. “It feels like that, but constantly buzzing through me, not just that jumpstart rush.”

Nick grinned at her description, noting the look of euphoria that seemed to come over her as she spoke. He knew that feeling all too well, could practically see it swirling around her as she did a little spin before moving back to walk beside him. “If you think what you’re feeling now is intense, wait until you’ve had your Dark Baptism,” Nick told her, bumping her with his shoulder again.

“I mean it definitely makes me understand why our first ever witch ancestors decided to head down this path in the first place,” Sabrina murmured as she linked their arms together, turning her face back to the moonlight that peaked through the trees.

He couldn’t help staring at her, always drawn to her watching her when she was draped in moonlight. Her skin seemed to glow under it in a way that no one else quite managed, a soft halo coming off her hair under it. The urge to run his fingers through it was hard to push down, but he clenched his hands tightly, fighting it off.

“Oh! I have a question for you!” Sabrina started and Nick knew that look she was giving him.

“What do you need, Spellman?” he teased, stroking his finger down her nose when she stuck her tongue out at him.

“So, apparently I need to ask a football player for their jersey to wear next Friday. Can I have yours?” Sabrina tried not to look too hopeful at that moment, but knew she was probably failing miserably.

Nick sucked in a breath through his teeth. “I think Dorcas is vying for it.”

“Oh.” Right. Her shoulders sagged a little at that and she turned to look ahead, nodding. “That makes sense.”

Nick tugged at her with their looped arms, getting her to stop walking and look back at him. “I’m kidding, Spellman. There isn’t anyone else I’d rather wear it than you.”

Her stomach did a flip at that, breath catching a little at the intensity of his gaze, before she let go of his arm. “Just make sure you wash it before you give it to me,” Sabrina told him, lightly jabbing his chest.

“Oh now there’s stipulations,” Nick tsked at her, taking hold of her finger. “I might have to reconsider.”

“Nope, sorry, too late, you already said it was mine,” Sabrina reminded, pulling away from him as they headed up the stairs of the mortuary. 

“What about the dance?” Nick asked as he followed after her, the two of them stopping at the top and leaning against the railing.

“Hmmm?” 

“Homecoming,” Nick reminded, watching as she looked back out at the moon. “Obviously you’re not going with Harvey this year.”

“Obviously, yeah,” Sabrina murmured and Nick frowned at the bit of sadness that he heard in her voice, watching as she shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe a friend’s group thing with Roz and Theo.” She turned back to him. “You want in? Or is there someone you have your eye on to ask? Though you’re kind of really putting it off if you haven’t asked yet.”

Nick watched her closely for a moment. “Friends group would be nice. Those corsages are such a pain to get.”

“You can get ready with Theo at his place or he could get ready at yours?” Sabrina suggested. She wasn’t sure if Harvey was going to want in or not. He hadn’t shown up to the last two football games.

“I’ll talk to him about it,” Nick assured her.

“Hungry?” Sabrina nodded toward the front door. “I bet we could make sandwiches from the leftovers.”

“And didn’t you and Roz go apple picking? So there should be an apple pie cooling by now,” Nick pointed out, laughing as her eyes widened at the possibility.

“Good point!” Sabrina headed in first, Nick trailing in behind her and finding Salem waiting for them, meowing his indignation over having been left behind. She picked her familiar up, cradling him close to her chest. “Next time, I promise.”

Nick envied that cat at times. 

They headed toward the living room, intent on raiding the kitchen, but stopped as they noticed the aunts and Ambrose sitting at the couches and chairs. “ _There_ you are!” Zelda gave the two of them a severe look, nodding for them to take a seat. “Honestly, as if we didn’t teach the two of you to let us know your plans.”

“I let Ambrose know what we were doing!” Sabrina protested, eyeing her cousin.

“And yet they never ask me if I know anything,” Ambrose sighed, leaning back against the couch, his teacup balancing precariously on his knee.

“We were at another gathering,” Nick explained, not sure what the big deal was until two others entered the room.

“Daddy!” Sabrina set Salem down, ignoring his offended meow as she headed toward Edward Spellman, embracing him tightly. 

“There’s my little witch,” Edward murmured, hugging her back as Nick nodded to him and the other man.

“Hello, father,” Nick greeted, knowing a hug wouldn’t be as readily given by Nathaniel Scratch. “Father Spellman. I hope your journey was uneventful.”

"Oh come now, Nicholas, you know it's simply Edward when we're not in coven gatherings," the man reminded before pressing a kiss to Sabrina's head.

“What’s this gathering business about?” Nathaniel asked as he sat down in one of the chairs and Nick headed over to sit by Ambrose. 

“The witchlings have started meeting in the woods again,” Ambrose informed them, before nodding toward Sabrina who moved to sit down by him as well, getting him to sit up more. “Even our youngest is attending them now.” 

Edward arched a brow at that as he sat down on one of the other chairs as well. “It seems we’ve got quite a bit to be caught up on then.”

“I remember our witchling gatherings,” Zelda mused as she leaned back in her chair, pressing a hand to her chest. She glanced over at Edward and Nathaniel. “All of that experimentation with magic. The bonds formed between all of us.”

“The picking on those not quite as gifted,” Hilda muttered from her spot, before glancing quickly over at Sabrina. “They’re not picking on you, are they?” She knew how vicious some of the others could be.

“Considering they all asked Sabrina to teach them some magic, I’d say picking on her is the last thing on their mind,” Nick murmured and Sabrina rolled her eyes at that before looking at him.

“They wanted you to teach them too,” she reminded as she let Salem climb up into her lap.

“Teach them what exactly?” Zelda asked, looking between the two.

“The Pendulum configuration,” Nick explained, and she arched a brow at that.

“The what?” She certainly didn’t recall that one.

“It’s one of my conjuration circles,” Edward explained, looking over at his daughter who was pointedly not looking at him.

“You taught that to the others?” Nathaniel asked, his focus on his son.

“They were interested in learning and since Brother Lovecraft isn’t adept at teaching it they wanted to see if we would,’ Nick informed them, arching a brow at Sabrina avoiding her father’s gaze.

“Since when can you do a Pendulum configuration?” Ambrose asked, poking his cousin in the side.

“Since I was seven,” Sabrina replied, sticking her tongue out at him before he pulled her to him, messing up her hair.

Nick snorted, shaking his head at their antics while Zelda let out a heavy sigh. “It’s what got her an independent study.”

“You got an independent study?” Zelda asked, and Nick knew he’d messed up again, offering Sabrina an apologetic look.

“Did I not mention that?” she murmured, slowly petting Salem.

“You certainly did not,” Zelda replied, fixing her with a look.

“So, right, I’m doing an independent study in conjuration now,” Sabrina shrugged, trying not to make a big deal out of it.

“What did you conjure?” Edward asked and Sabrina looked over at him.

“Don’t be mad,” she started, pursing her lips at the look she received from him.”Just a cu-sith!”

“Sabrina,” Edward sighed.

“I made sure it stayed behind the barrier spell!” she quickly added, wincing when she realized that probably wasn’t helping her case.

“You did a Pendulum configuration with a barrier spell?” Nathaniel asked, clearly impressed with the fete. 

Sabrina nodded. “I can see why Lovecraft insisted you move to an independent study,” Nathaniel whistled low. “Quite the accomplishment, don’t you think, Edward?”

Her father simply nodded and Sabrina sank back against Ambrose knowing they’d be having a long talk later. “How was Slovenia? Did you accomplish what you wanted?” Hilda asked, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. 

Sabrina smiled softly at her, grateful for the attempt.

“Nearly,” Edward replied and Sabrina tried not to frown, knowing that meant he’d have to go back to the other country soon then. “But that can wait until November. We have a Dark Baptism to focus on moving forward.”

* * *

She was supposed to be reading the book by Isobel Gowdie, a look into seventeenth century witchcraft in Scotland, but Sabrina kept looking over the top of it, watching her father looking through the various letters and other items that had accumulated on his desk over the last two months. Sabrina knew he had noticed what she was doing when she spotted the curling of his lips into a smile, even though he didn’t look up from his work.

She shut the book, knowing there was little point with the preamble anymore. “Penny dreadful for your thoughts?” Edward asked, and Sabrina grinned, used to hearing that particular phrase from her cousin.

“My vanity used to be mom’s right?” she asked, watching as he looked up at that, curious about her question.

He nodded. “When she was a child, yes.”

“Was it ever in your room?” She kept her gaze on him, knowing if she looked away that he’d become concerned by her questions, picking up on the fact they weren’t as innocuous as she was attempting to play off.

“What makes you ask?” He was still watching her, trying to decipher anything from the way she looked and answered him.

“I was just wondering,” Sabrina shrugged, trying to make light of it. Her father’s familiar looked up from where she’d been resting at that, eyes trained on Sabrina as well, and Sabrina tried to ignore the black leopard’s gaze. Hiding things from Rhea never ended well for her. At least Salem wasn’t in the room as well to betray what she was feeling.

“A long time ago, it was,” he confirmed for her and she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. She nodded, watching him turn back to the papers. Rhea moved though, coming to stand beside her and resting her head on Sabrina’s lap. 

She softly stroked the familiar’s head, reminded of her own wandering somewhere in the woods, but not fooled by this act of kindness, knowing this was a tactic to get her to let her guard down. She wasn’t five anymore though and it wasn’t going to work. 

There was something she needed to bring up though.

“I broke up with Harvey,” Sabrina murmured after a moment, watching his face and hands, trying to see how he reacted to that. 

“Your aunts told me as much,” Edward informed her and she bit her lip at that, unable to decipher anything from his neutral tone. Rhea moved away from her though, going to curl back up on her spot on the floor by the desk. 

“I tried, daddy. I really did but…” She couldn’t keep playing that part, no matter how good it might be for everything he was trying to create for their kind.

Edward looked up at that, arching a brow before he took in her troubled expression. “All I want is for you to be happy and that does not have to be with the Kinkle boy.”

“I know you liked him.” She frowned, tugging at the sleeves of her shirt. 

“He was rather polite though a bit skittish,” Edward replied. The boy would have made for a decent showing of how his ideals worked but it was fine. There would be another that was better suited. “How are the others?”

“Roz had another vision but she seems to be handling them better now,” Sabrina told him and he filed that information away. “This one only had her a little dizzy and she was fine after she ate something.”

“And how’s cheerleading going?” Edward asked, looking back down at the papers briefly before remembering something. “I don’t know if you’re aware that your mother was a cheerleader at her own high school.” 

“She was?” That was definitely new information.

He beckoned her to come around the desk as he waved his other hand, retrieving a book from one of the bookshelves. It took a moment for him to find it but he nodded toward the photograph of Diana in her high school cheerleading outfit. Sabrina stared down at it for a long moment, letting her fingers drift over the photograph, taking in the similarities between her and the woman she’d never known.

“How are you finding it though?” Edward continued and Sabrina looked over at him, wondering if she could have that photo. 

“I’m enjoying it,” she told him, watching as he removed the photo from its place in the book, handing it to her before she could ask. “I didn’t think it was ever something I’d really do but I’m glad I tried out and not just to stick it to Prudence.”

He chuckled at that, well aware of the animosity between the two girls. “The Homecoming game is this Friday. Do you think you can make it?” Sabrina asked, holding the photograph delicately between her hands.

“I’ll be there,” Edward assured her before motioning for her to take a seat again. 

Sabrina scrunched her nose at that, knowing she wasn’t going to like what he had to say next. “I thought we had discussed what you would be conjuring,” her father started, his tone letting her know the conversation was going to be less than pleasant.

Sabrina slunk down into the chair, trying not to wrinkle the photo. “And I was going to do what we’d talked about,” she insisted, but that need to prove that she was a witch had reared its head, needing to be seen as powerful.

“But?” Edward asked and Sabrina stared at the floor, not wanting to answer. “Sabrina?”

“Prudence made a comment about mom,” she murmured, looking down at the photograph in her hand.

Her father sighed at that, unsurprised by the continuation of the rivalry between the two, certain it would only get worse. He’d need to talk to Faustus. “You need to not let her get to you.”

“She implied mom died on purpose so she wouldn’t have to be around me.” Angry tears pricked at her eyes as she looked over at him, watching as his stern expression softened. He headed around the desk, moving to kneel in front of her and took hold of her hands. 

“You know that isn’t what happened,” Edward reminded, brushing at her cheeks. “There is always a risk with childbirth, Sabrina. Your aunts and I did everything possibly to ensure she lived through it. Holding you in her arms was all she ever wanted.”

“And she got to,” Sabrina murmured. That’s what they all told her. She didn’t remember it, couldn’t conjure up the feeling of what it would have been like to be held by her mother.

“Briefly, but yes.” He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze. “She loved you so much, my little witch. Never forget that.”

“I won’t.” Even if she wished she’d heard the woman say that to her at least once.

Edward rose and nodded toward the door. “You should get some sleep, sweetheart.”

Sabrina stood, kissing his cheek before she retrieved her book, petting Rhea as she passed by. “Night, daddy.”

She waited for his murmured ‘goodnight’ back before heading out of the room, looking down at the photograph as she headed up to her room. Sabrina tucked it into the corner of her vanity mirror, letting it sit beside a photo of her in her Baxter High uniform. Her mother looked happy in the photograph. She always looked happy in the pictures that Sabrina had of her, not at all like the terrified woman she’d been seeing in her dreams.

Maybe tonight, she could finally dream of something happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very interested in everyone's thoughts about Edward and Nathaniel so far. We'll see more of Nick and his dad's relationship in the next chapter. As well as Sabrina with her dad too.
> 
> But next chapter is Homecoming! A little leading up to it, the big game with all of the Spellmans and Nathaniel attending, and then the dance. :) Thanks for reading, everyone!


	4. friday night lights

It was good that his father was back in town. 

At least that was the mantra that Nick had kept replaying in his head. It meant that he wasn’t alone in their big house, that coven matters were being looked at thoroughly, that whatever business was happening outside of Greendale wasn’t too big of an obstacle for everything that they were trying to build. All good things and yet, he always seemed to feel more alone when his father was home. 

He couldn’t head to the Spellman’s for home cooked meals and conversations, heating up whatever Ms. Bilgen had made for them and eating it alone at the large antique table, his father locked away in his study. 

It hadn’t always been like that. 

He remembered when their house had been full of laughter, back when his mother had been alive, the two tucked away in the expansive library as she read book after book to him. Nick knew that her death had hit his father hard, but it had done the same to him, pushing the two further apart instead of binding them together. 

With little desire to endure another meal alone, he’d headed to Dorian’s after school, ready to lose himself in the company of whoever was most eager. It didn’t matter who it was that night, needing to get the longing erased from his bones, pushed out of sight so that he could handle the next few weeks before his father and Edward Spellman would be off again. 

The blow of the whips reverberated through his body, unleashing the pent up frustration and rage that he worked so hard to keep buried, to hide from everyone around him. He left the room feeling boneless, going through the motions as he poured back shot after shot that was bought for him, moving through the crowd of witches and warlocks on the dance floor, a mesh of bodies that he could get lost in for a few more moments.

It was Prudence’s gaze from across the room that broke him out of it, that little ‘I told you so’ arch of her brows before she glanced over at her sisters. Nick wrenched himself from the crowd, fumbling through the hallways until he managed to get outside, letting the coolness of the night air help sober him up. 

He wasn’t sure how long he sat, leaning back against the building's exterior, before finally pushing himself up to head out through the woods on the long trek home. Teleporting would have been easier, getting him into his bed faster, but he preferred the walk, wanting to spend as little time as possible at the house. 

“Nick?” 

He froze in his tracks, hoping his mind was playing games with him, and that he hadn’t just heard Sabrina saying his name. He could smell her perfume though, spotted Salem bounding out in front of him before she stepped out from the path she’d been on, basket in hand.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked, focusing on the basket. 

“Amanita,” she motioned toward the mushrooms peeking out through the scarf she’d wrapped around the basket to secure them. “You?”

“Felt like going for a walk,” Nick murmured, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at her, wondering how rude it would be if he teleported away.

She watched him carefully for a moment and he wished he knew what exactly was going on through that head of hers. “Want company?”

He should have said no, should have said he was heading back to his house, but choosing not to have Sabrina’s company was something he couldn’t seem to do. “Sure.”

They walked in silence side by side through the waning moonlight, Salem out in front of them, the familiar jumping on the occasional fallen leaf. He heard the other footsteps off to the side before he sensed his familiar. He'd known Amalia would have returned from her roaming once she felt his emotions over his father’s return. Salem turned toward the sound as well, heading off through the underbrush to go greet the wolf as Sabrina took hold of his hand.

She gave it a quick tug, pulling him from the path that would bring them home and over toward the clearing off to the side that held the Coven of Night’s ceremonial stone. He threaded their fingers together, not quite ready to let go of her hand, wanting that bit of contact, pleased that she didn’t let go either. Amalia pushed out of the woods toward them as Sabrina set the basket down, Salem on the wolf’s heels. 

She was larger than any of the non-familiar wolves he’d ever seen, her eyes taking on a glow in the dark as she headed over to them, pushing her muzzle into his stomach. “Hey, girl,” Nick murmured, finally letting go of Sabrina’s hand so he could stroke his familiar’s fur. 

Sabrina sat down next to the altar, Salem moving to curl up in her lap, and watched the other two get reacquainted with one another. Salem liked to roam as well, but not quite like Amalia did. He was always in her bed before morning light, while Nick might not see the wolf for weeks on end. Though she always turned up when he needed her. 

“Your dad went straight to his study, didn’t he?” Sabrina asked as Nick settled down beside her, hearing him sigh at that. “Hi, Amalia.” The familiar pressed her nose against Sabrina’s hand, letting her know she wanted to be briefly pet before moving off to circle the area they were in. 

“Like clockwork.” Maybe he hadn’t drunk enough.

“You know you can still come over for dinner,” Sabrina started but Nick shook his head at that.

“Don’t.” He didn’t want pity, especially not from her.

“Well, you can,” Sabrina murmured and he nearly snapped at her, but the anger that had been boiling inside of him, making him want to lash out settled as she rested her head against his shoulder, hand moving to take hold of his again. “I like when you’re at dinner. Then I’m not the only one Ambrose picks on.”

Nick snorted at that, giving her hand a squeeze. “He’s definitely an equal opportunity teaser.”

“Mmmhmm,” Sabrina agreed, squeezing back. “Plus dad likes poking at you about whatever latest idea he’s come up with.”

“He can do that with you too,” Nick pointed out but she shook her head. 

“Nah, it’s better when we can team up on him with our rebuttals,” she reminded, bringing out a smile from him. 

“I’ll come over tomorrow,” he promised, enjoying the way she seemed to relax against him at that. 

“Good. I’ll try to make sure we have that chocolate cake you like so much for dessert.” Black Forest or whatever it was called. Not her favorite. But she’d endure it. 

“Trying to fatten me up?” Nick teased, fingers finding her sides, tickling slightly. 

“Oh please, you’ve seen your six pack,” Sabrina grasped at his hands, stilling the movement. 

“Been looking at my abs, huh?” He winked at her and she was grateful for the clouds that had moved into the area, shadowing her gaze from him. 

“It’s not my fault you like to walk around shirtless right after practice.” She poked him in the chest before settling back against him, trying to still the pounding of her heart. It'd been so easy when she was with Harvey to push down any stirring of emotion that Nick brought out in her.

But she wasn't with the mortal any longer and all of their shared looks and touches weren't so easy to forget now. They just kept building and she didn't know what to do with that.

“Don’t forget to give me your jersey," Sabrina settled on saying, hoping he hadn't forgotten or agreed to give it to someone else.

“You’ll have it tomorrow morning,” Nick assured her. “I got Ms. Bilgen to wash it like you’d requested.” He wanted to stay like that forever, leaning against the stone, Sabrina curled up against him, but he felt her yawn and knew they needed to get moving. “Come on, Spellman. Let’s get you home.”

At least Amalia was back. He wouldn’t be going home alone. 

She waved to him once they were at the mortuary, brushing her hands through Amalia’s fur one more time before heading up the staircase, taking it two at a time, Salem following behind her. Sabrina watched as the other two disappeared into the darkness, frowning slightly before turning to enter the house. After a quick stop in the greenhouse to drop off the basket, Sabrina headed up to her room, kicking off her shoes as soon as she entered.

She felt flustered in a way that she hadn’t in so long, her body thrumming with yearning, making her shake her head to try and push it off. Salem meowed from the spot he’d taken up on her bed and her gaze snapped over to him.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

He meowed again, and she rolled her eyes at his comments.

“I’m well aware how ridiculous I am, thanks.”

The urge to kiss Nicholas Scratch had never been as overwhelming as it had been in that moment. She had wanted to do so several times before, having catalogued each and every instance she’d thought about it and _not done so_ in her journal that she kept under her bed. But none had been like that, the deep rooted need to try and wipe away the sadness she could see reverberating through him pulling hard at her.

It was fine. 

She could handle this. 

“Oh, shut up,” she muttered as Salem meowed again, tossing one of her pillows at him.

* * *

“You’re feeling pretty good about yourself, aren’t you?”

Sabrina sighed, trying to focus her attention on the lock and getting her combination correct. It was far too early to deal with an antagonistic Dorcas Night. “And a hello to you too, Dorcas.”

“What?” the redhead continued, and Sabrina could almost picture the girl’s pinched expression, keeping her focus on the locker. “You think because he’s letting you wear his jersey that you have any hope of actually keeping Nick’s attention?”

Were they really having this conversation? 

“He can’t even walk down the hallway without making eyes at everyone he passes,” Dorcas added, and as if on cue, Nick’s voice could be heard reverberating down the hallway as he entered it, flirting with various people as he passed by. 

Sabrina didn’t reply, finishing off the combination, feeling slightly proud that she’d managed to get it right with Dorcas’ constant chatter. “Do you know how often he frequents Dorian’s? He was there last night, engaging in some of Dorian’s finest. What hope could you possibly have for swaying him away from that, half-breed?”

He had gone to Dorian’s last night? Was that before or after their walk in the woods? Sabrina had a feeling before, she’d smelled the hint of alcohol on his breath, noted the way he hissed a little when she’d leaned against him, showcasing new tenderness to his side.

Sabrina turned toward Dorcas at that though, the lockers rattling slightly as her annoyance with the girl built up. How _dare_ this girl try and use Nick’s vices against him. “Unlike you, who’s constantly trying to get in Nick’s pants because he enjoyed your sisters on their own but decided you weren’t worth it, I’m _friends_ with Nick.” 

She shouldn’t have enjoyed how Dorcas’s eyes widened at the display of her powers, that hitch of breath as she glanced at the lockers and then Sabrina. “I’m not trying to sway him from anything. That’s the difference, Dorcas. I just want my friend to be happy. So why don’t you run along now before I set you on fire.”

Dorcas didn’t need to be told twice, heading off down the hallway as Nick got to his locker. Sabrina reeled in her magic, blinking innocently when he canted his head toward them. She shrugged, moving to put her coat away. 

He let out a whistle, grinning as he took in his jersey on her body. “Looking good, Spellman.”

“Ah, yes, in this oversized jersey,” Sabrina turned back and forth. “Totally showing off all of my curves.”

“I just like my name on you,” Nick winked at her and her heart wasn’t supposed to lurch like it just had.

She rolled her eyes and shut the locker. “Don’t get used to it.”

“Too late,” he grinned, looking her over.

Sabrina blew him a kiss before turning away, holding tightly to her notebook. 

She spared a glance backward as she went to turn the corner, convinced she’d see that Nick had already moved onto chatting up the next person. But no, his gaze was still on her, following her as she walked away, looking at her in a way that she couldn’t quite decipher. 

Sabrina shook her head, knowing she was reading too much into it. 

It was silly anyway and unfair to him. 

Nick wasn’t like her. He was like Ambrose. Fluid relationships, sex magic, enjoying different people for different things and while Sabrina didn’t think there was anything wrong with living life that way, she knew it wasn’t for her. She wanted _the one_ and while Harvey Kinkle definitely wasn’t that person, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t eventually find them. Just hopefully it wouldn’t take six hundred years like it had for her father. Though maybe that was part of her problem, trying to capture a love that had taken six hundred years to find when she wasn’t even sixteen yet. 

Maybe Ambrose and Nick had it right. 

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to experiment a little more. 

But not with Nick. 

She didn’t want to risk their friendship like that. She valued that entirely too much.

* * *

Hilda motioned for the nearly empty row, making her way down it, a quick apology doled out to everyone they had to squeeze by. Zelda followed after her, lips pressed tightly together as she took in the lackluster metal benches, displeased with the set up, her brother and Nathaniel Scratch following behind her. “Here you go, Auntie,” Ambrose offered up one of the blankets he’d made sure they brought, knowing Zelda wouldn’t appreciate the seating arrangements. 

“Clearly they should offer a premium ticket that allows for a better seat,” Zelda grumbled as she took the item from him, situating it for her to sit down on.

“It’s a high school football game, Auntie,” Ambrose tried to point out but Hilda was shaking her head, letting him know it was a pointless endeavor. Zelda was in a mood to complain and no amount of logic would get her out of that mindset. 

“Why are we here again?” Zelda asked, fingers itching for a cigarette. How she was supposed to endure this mortal insanity without a dose of nicotine was beyond her.

“Sabrina is in the half-time show,” Hilda reminded, nodding toward the field where their niece and the other cheerleaders were already trying to engage the incoming crowd in some cheers. “And Nicholas is playing on the team.” She looked over at Ambrose. “I’m not quite sure what it is that he does though.”

“You’ll see,” Ambrose replied, rubbing his hands together as he settled into the seat beside her. 

“Why did you agree to this?” Zelda muttered, looking over at her brother, pleased to see that Nathaniel at least looked as baffled as she felt about the whole thing.

“Sabrina wanted me here,” Edward replied, and he’d missed enough of his daughter’s life as it was. Coming to see her cheer was the least that he could do. 

“I’ll go get us food!” Ambrose offered, looking imploringly at Zelda who eyed him carefully before opening up her purse and handing over some cash. 

“Something _hot_ ,” she suggested. Clearly there weren’t heaters at this damn thing. 

“It’s good for us to be here,” Edward reminded as Ambrose headed off toward the concession stand. “To be seen out and among everyone else in town. The children do it every day. We should also engage in these sorts of traditions every so often.”

Zelda couldn’t quite rebut that and simply nodded, trying to focus on her niece and the movements that the others were all doing. At least there were a few other witches on the squad as well. She didn’t understand any of what it was that they were doing but the others around them seemed to be getting into the movements, echoing the words the girls were yelling out, and participating in some weird stomping and clapping ritual. 

She was going to have a headache. 

It didn’t help any when the football team was finally on the field and the actual game started, but at least she had a hot cider to drink. If only she could smoke as well, but the mortals and their damnable rules. She doubted that her brother would appreciate it if she headed off for any amount of time either and it wasn’t entirely terrible to watch her niece having a bit of fun. Even if the longer she watched the game the less she understood it.

“Hi, Mr. Spellman!” Roz called out as she helped her grandmother find a spot on the bench in front of them. “Sabrina said you were back in town.”

“Lovely to see you again, Rosalind,” Edward tipped his hat toward her, watching the old woman nod toward. “Hope you’re doing well, Ruth.”

“Just fine, Edward, thank you,” Ruth Walker greeted, looking out at the other adults, all of them exchanging a nod with one another. 

“Theo should be here with our hot cider in a minute, grandma,” Roz told her as she helped situate the blanket on the older woman before taking a seat beside her. Ambrose moved to sit up next to her, offering up some of his half-eaten popcorn bag to the two. 

“Please let me sit with you guys and not the grumps back there,” he pleaded under his breath, causing Mrs. Walker to laugh, patting the spot beside her as Roz shook her head. 

“Since you come with popcorn we’ll allow it,” she told him as Theo headed over, handing off their drinks. 

“We didn’t miss half-time, right?” he asked, happily taking a handful of popcorn to munch on. 

“I think it’ll be after this play,” Ambrose informed them, glancing over his shoulder to spot Hilda knitting, Zelda’s pinched gaze as she looked out at the game and his Uncle and Father Scratch involved in a conversation that obviously wasn’t about the game. 

“Are we winning?” Theo asked, getting Ambrose to look back toward the field.

“So far, yeah.” Not that he particularly cared, but it would make Nick and his cousin happy so it was the preferred outcome. 

Ambrose joined Theo and Roz in the wave, laughing along with the two as they jostled the adults behind them who weren’t quite sure what exactly was happening. These things were always much more enjoyable with Sabrina’s friends around. 

“At least someone is getting into the spirit of it,” Hilda murmured, glancing down at Ambrose before she looked across at the others.

“Oh, pish, you’re not even watching,” Zelda muttered, looking over at her nearly completed scarf. 

“I’m not cheering over every injury the other team gets either,” Hilda pointed out, shaking her head as her sister shrugged.

“I find my entertainment where I can,” Zelda replied, before turning toward her brother. “Are we staying for the whole thing?”

“It’s almost over, Zelds,” Edward informed her, nodding toward the large clock across the field from them. “I think we can manage another two minutes, don’t you?”

“Praise Satan it's only two more minutes,” Nathaniel muttered, thankful that at least Zelda let out a ‘hear hear’. He searched the field again, finding Nicholas in the huddle that was taking place. “I’m not entirely sure what he gets out of this.”

It was a whirlwind of movement after that, none of it quite making sense, but it seemed that Nick scored the last touchdown, bringing a resounding victory to Baxter High. Everyone but the four of them quickly rose to their feet, shouting and clapping their hearts out. They slowly rose as well, clapping along with the others as Nick was carried off the field and toward where the cheerleaders were jumping and waving their pom poms. 

They watched as he was set down, both groups mixing and cheering one another on, spotting as Nick moved toward Sabrina. He picked her up, spinning her around, their expressions both ecstatic over his win, arms still wrapped around her when he set her back down.

“ _That_ would be why he does it,” Ambrose commented, looking back at the four of them before nodding to the two laughing down on the field. 

Theo snapped a photo, eyes widening as she spotted members of the team walking toward the two, the container of water in their hands. “You don’t think they’ll--”

“Oh, they’re definitely going to do it,” Roz commented, shaking her head as Sabrina’s eyes widened, trying to wriggle out of Nick’s grasp as the container was poured out onto the two, drenching them. 

Theo took another photo, capturing the moment, knowing they were going to need to use this in the talk they needed to have with their friends. Maybe they could get them to stop being complete idiots soon.

* * *

Amalia had headed back into the woods. Not as far as she had been roaming before but Nick understood his familiar’s need to not be boxed in. There was a similar yearning in his own blood, one that he couldn’t quite give into just yet, but wasn’t about to deny her. Greendale hadn’t always been his home, even if he’d been irrevocably tied to the place since birth. That had seemed like a curse those first few years, always being dragged back to the small town during the summer months by his mother.

Until Sabrina Spellman had stumbled into his life.

Literally, stumbled. 

She’d been two. He’d been four. And while the other warlocks and witches his age attending the gathering at the Spellman mortuary had been running amok, getting into all sorts of mischief, Nick had been _trying_ to find a good place to read. Trying and failing because there had been so many of them moving around, pushed toward one another by their parents in an attempt to start forging those centuries long bonds. 

He’d found a nook he thought he’d be free to hide in, a well-worn copy of a collection of fairy tales in his hands when Sabrina had stumbled over her own feet, crashing through the drapes that he’d expertly hidden inside of. He was certain she was going to start crying and ruin the perfectly good spot, outing him to the world. Her eyes had widened, looking on the verge of tears when she spotted the book in his hands, and scooted the rest of the way under the enormous drapes, tucking in beside him. 

Nick couldn’t help but grin as he remembered her little finger jabbing at the book as she looked him dead in the eye and demanded he read. Or at least that’s what he’d thought she’d meant when she said ‘book’. 

He heard Dione before he spotted the wolf walking toward him in the expansive hallway. His father’s familiar was far more likely to stick around near Nathaniel, only heading out for brief stints in the forest; that need to wander having been stripped from him long ago. 

Nick knelt down in front of the wolf, slowly petting her as she nuzzled his neck, affectionate in a way that his father was not. She nipped lightly at him, as if she was reading the comparison he was making in his mind, trying to get him out of the downward spiral he could inevitably head if he allowed himself. He watched as she nodded backward before pulling back and heading toward his father’s office, letting Nick know he was being summoned. 

He slung the garment bag over his shoulder, steeling himself for the conversation ahead as he followed after the wolf. He found his father standing in front of the window, back to the door as he gazed out at the grounds outside. The office was similar to Edward Spellman’s, many of the same furniture from the old world taking up space, exact copies of various magical research books and tomes lining the bookshelves along the walls. And yet, even though this room offered much more light through the expansive windows it lacked any of the warmth that Nick always felt in the other warlock’s office. 

Nick headed in and sat down on one of the chairs by the desk, laying the garment bag down on the other one. He picked up one of the books placed on a small table to peruse through. He knew better than to say anything until he was addressed, wondering how long this conversation of theirs would take. 

“You're destined for great things, Nicholas,” Nathaniel started and Nick glanced up. Upon noting that his father was still looking out the window he allowed himself to roll his eyes, wondering what exactly had brought about _this_ particular topic again. “Never forget that.”

“I won't.” How could he when it was the only thing they ever talked about at any length anymore?

“I may not understand these mortal rituals that you involve yourself in,” his father continued, turning around to finally look at him. Dione moved toward the older warlock, resting at his feet, and Nick glanced from the book again.

“I involve myself in them at Father Spellmans request,” Nick reminded, wondering what the man was trying to get at.

“I know.” Nathaniel nodded, coming around to sit at the desk. “And you are doing our coven proud with all you take on, with all you've learned and done so far.”

Was that an actual compliment? Nick wasn’t too sure how to take it, not wanting to appear too eager for the praise, but he couldn’t help but sit up a little straighter. “Thank you, father.”

“There are matters you need to work on though,” Nathaniel continued, and Nick leaned back at that, unsurprised that his father had found fault in something he’d done. “Working with the other witchlings is a good start. You do seem to have garnered most of their favor. Keep that up and your chances of becoming High Priest of our coven will increase.”

Nick nodded. He didn’t want that particular job; to be saddled with the duties and responsibilities that his father or Edward Spellman were. Being tied even further to this place, more shackles bound to him, made his skin crawl. The thought of being in this empty house century after century was one he didn’t want to face. 

“I’m told you’re thriving in your studies, far surpassing the others and have gained another independent study,” Nathaniel added and Nick nodded again. “I’m also told you’ve decided to team up with Sabrina for one of them.”

Nick froze at that, worried for a moment that he was going to be told to cut that tie, but his father actually smiled, seeming to approve that addition, before continuing, “Father Highmore has been the one to take on most of my duties for our coven when I am out of town. I think it's time for you to start shadowing him for a few of those so that you can eventually take them over.”

He wanted to protest that but confusion was winning out, wondering why he wanted him to start doing that now. Most didn’t until they had a century under their belt and he wasn’t eighteen for a few more months. Though...that was with the old ways of the coven. When they had been tied to the Anti Papacy. Were his father and Father Spellman looking to change that?

Silence fell between them and Nick watched as his father started to look at his papers, attention diverted elsewhere. “Is there anything else? I need to get to Theo's.” He nodded toward the bag on the other chair.

“To get ready for this dance?” Nathaniel asked without looking up.

Nick nodded again. “Yes, sir. A group of us are going together.”

“Ms. Bilgen left food in the fridge if you need to eat something before you go,” Nathaniel told him and Nick shook his head. They were ordering pizza. 

Nick waited another minute, wanting to see if there was anything else to be said, but his father’s attention was completely on the papers then. Dione rose from her spot, heading over to the door and Nick knew that was his sign to leave. He picked up the bag and headed out, stopping briefly to give the wolf’s head a pat before exiting the room. 

He leaned against the door once he’d closed it behind him, letting out a heavy sigh as music started to play from inside the room. If his mother was alive he wholeheartedly believed she would have fussed over his outfit and wanted to take pictures of him before this dance. The urge to toss the bag to the side and head to Dorian’s was nearly overwhelming, wanting to drown himself in bourbon. His arm itched though, indicating that a message was slowly appearing on it and he pushed his sleeve back, spotting Sabrina’s handwriting asking for confirmation on the time he and the others were picking her and Roz up.

 _Still seven_ he jotted back before taking another breath.

Dorian’s could wait.

He really did want to see her dress.

* * *

The Baxter High gymnasium looked as though someone had thrown up a mishmash of streamers, confetti, and ridiculously sized decorations in an ‘Under the Sea’ theme. Blue filters had been taped over the lights, meant to give the room an underwater appearance. Whether or not that worked was another story, but the teens crammed into the space didn’t seem to mind, milling about like they usually did at these dances.

“We have to do the photo,” Roz commented as soon as the group entered into the gym, squeezing Sabrina’s hand as she nodded toward the photographer set up by the wall that had been decorated with the underwater scene. 

“I say we head there now before the line gets too long.” They’d made the mistake of waiting once before, the two heading that way, happily chattering along while Theo, Nick and Harvey followed after them.

“Think there’s any chance we can head off to the food table,” Harvey started, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck, the idea earning him annoyed glances from both girls.

“I’m sure the fish shaped sugar cookies will be there once we’re done with this,” Theo pointed out. 

“Hopefully they’re not hard as a rock this year,” NIck added, remembering the travesty of the desserts at prom last year. 

“I think they got a new caterer.” Theo wasn’t sure who exactly had said that, but he was certain he’d overheard it at some point during the week. 

Props were thrust back at them and the three sighed, letting the girls direct them where to stand, getting them to do different poses before they were satisfied with the pictures. The group headed to the dance floor next. No matter how many times he’d gone to one of these, Nick couldn’t quite understand the point of mortal dancing. They might dance in groups and in pairs like happened at Dorian’s but the atmosphere was different, the tension that developed at the Gray Room not as prevalent as at Baxter High. The energy level was high enough, but it was one of those moments he found the mortal world lacking. 

Which was probably why the other warlocks and witches never seemed to last long at these events, making their presence known and snagging some of the sweets, before heading off to engage in other activities. It’s what he usually would have done, excusing himself from the small group after a few dances and disappearing into the night. He was considering it now when three little worlds altered the entire course of his night.

“Dance with me.”

Nick grinned at Sabrina, taking hold of her hand as the other three swayed and jumped to the song that was being played. “Aren’t we already doing that?”

She rolled her eyes at him before tugging him a few steps away from the others, giving them a little bit of room. The upbeat tempo of the song had him spinning her out and then back to him, enjoying Sabrina’s laugh as he pulled her in, holding tightly to one of her hands while his other settled on her hip. He tipped her backwards, hand sliding up her back, gliding over her skin. He knew he’d liked that backless dress style. 

Was he imagining the way she shivered under his touch as he righted her back to her feet, while the song changed into something slower. He paused his movement, giving her the chance to pull them out of the thinning crowd as it turned to just couples staying on the floor, others heading off to grab a refreshment. He spotted the other three doing so, Harvey glancing back to ask what they wanted, fist clenching slightly as he turned away again, heading after Roz and Theo.

Sabrina stepped closer to him though, her hands moving up to settle on his shoulders. Nick realized she was studying his expression and knew that look of hers, but he wasn’t sure what exactly she was searching for. He gave her hip a squeeze as he offered up a smile, one he only seemed to manage when he was looking at her. 

“You usually leave these things by this point,” Sabrina murmured, hands sliding along his shoulders before coming to rest at the back of his neck. “I figured I should get the dance I wanted in before you headed off.” 

“You were usually occupied with the farm boy all those other times,” Nick pointed out, laughing as she scrunched her nose at that.

“You know his family aren’t farmers,” Sabrina reminded, even as her fingers stroked the back of his neck, brushing at the ends of his hair.

“Not the point,” Nick murmured, feeling a bit daring as he rubbed his thumb against her back, tracing along the seam of the dress before stroking her skin. 

He caught the way she sucked in a breath at that, cheeks reddening slightly. “I know.” She didn’t quite know what else to say, trying to remember why she’d started speaking in the first place. 

“You’re stuck with me,” Nick continued, giving her hip a squeeze.

“Guess it's a good thing I like you then,” Sabrina murmured, stepping a little closer to him.

He’d never wanted to kiss her as much as he did in that moment, realizing that there wasn’t anything blocking him from doing so. This wasn’t like so many times before when he’d held back, respecting her decision to date Harvey, knowing she wouldn’t like it if he tried anything then. He leaned in, intent on doing just that when the music changed again, bringing more bodies to the floor, jostling the two of them. 

“We should probably join the others,” Sabrina nodded over to the rest of their group near the refreshment table as she pulled away from him.

Nick nodded, trying not to glare at the others around them that had interrupted the moment he was sure they’d been about to have. “I do want one of those cookies,” Nick conceded as he took hold of her hand, pleased when she didn’t pull away.

Instead she threaded their fingers together, giving his hand a squeeze as he led the two of them through the ever growing crowd. “Decent selection this year,” Theo told them as he bit into another fish shaped cookie.

“I recommend the octopus one,” Roz added, holding up her half eaten one. 

Harvey just nodded, looking down at their hands before taking a drink of the punch, and nodding along to the others' statements again. Nick was certain Sabrina was going to let go of his hand then, knowing it had to be awkward in that moment, but she only tightened her grip on his hand. “We’ll just have to get one of each!” she grinned at them before tugging him toward the table.

“You knew she was going to move on,” Roz murmured, looking over at Harvey who sighed.

“Does it have to be with him?” Harvey muttered, before nodding toward the door. “I’m going to get some air.”

“I’ll go with you,” Theo offered, but the other boy shook his head.

“I’ll be back in a few, it’s cool, guys. Just need a minute.” Harvey smiled at the two of them before hurrying toward the gym doors that led out to the field. 

“I have no idea what we’re supposed to do here?” Theo looked over at Roz.

“Be happy for Sabrina and Nick and sympathetic to Harvey,” Roz suggested, watching Theo nod to that. “Though, knowing _those_ two idiots, it’s still going to be some time before they actually admit anything to each other.”

“So dramatic,” Theo murmured, shaking his head as they watched Sabrina and Nick chatting at the refreshment table, Sabrina laughing at something the warlock said before they were pulled into a conversation with the students on the other side of it.

“Want to make a bet?” Roz suggested and Theo arched a brow at that. “I think we’ve got at least until her birthday before either makes a serious move.”

“What does the winner get?” Theo asked, considering how many weeks there were until Sabrina’s sweet sixteen.

“Loser buys the other a milkshake at Cee’s?” Something they both wouldn’t mind winning.

Theo nodded. “Deal. I’m going with Thanksgiving.”

They shook on it as the other two headed back, cookies in hand. “Are you guys up for a party at Lizzie’s?” Sabrina asked, nodding toward the cheerleader who waved at the group before exiting the gym with some friends.

“I think we’ve eaten all the cookies we can handle at this point,” Theo conceded, Roz nodding in agreement. He jutted his thumb toward the door Harvey had headed out of. “Just let me go grab Harvey.”

* * *

Sabrina was trying to navigate her way to the bathroom, squeezing through the hallway lined with people talking to one another or making out in various corners. She headed right after the stairs, certain that was the direction Lizzie had told her to go, when she ran into Paige and Lavina, unsurprised when they pulled her in for a group hug. Their breaths reeked of the alcohol she was certain was in the cups in their hands. 

“I love your dress,” Lavina murmured, sighing happily as she touched the fabric. “Oh, and it feels so good.”

Sabrina laughed as the girl started petting her skirt, while Paige leaned against her, half-closing her eyes. “No wonder Nick couldn’t keep his hands off of you,” the other witch murmured and Sabrina took hold of the cup that she was precariously holding, not wanting it to spill on her dress.

“We were dancing,” Sabrina replied as she sniffed at the liquid inside, not exactly sure what she was expecting to smell. 

“Are you thinking of going with Nick?” Lavina asked, and Sabrina wasn’t exactly sure what the girl was talking about. “Because he will ruin you for all other experiences.”

Oh. Dorian’s. She had to be meaning that place. “The things that warlock can do with his tongue,” Lavina continued, letting out a happy sigh.

The hallway felt hotter than it had been seconds before, no doubt because of the blush Sabrina could feel coming over her features. “We’re friends.”

“Mmmhmm,” Paige hummed as she took back her cup, taking a long drink from it.

“He’s a friendly guy,” Lavina added, still thumbing Sabrina’s skirt.

“Flirting just kind of comes naturally to him,” Sabrina replied, not sure what else to say.

“And yet he keeps looking over here,” Paige pointed out, nodding toward the opening that led to the living room.

Nick was in fact looking over at them, mouthing a ‘you okay?’ to her and Sabrina offered a thumbs up before disentangling herself from the two witches. She really needed to find that bathroom and ventured back down the hall, intent on locating it, thankful when she finally did.

"Hey, Sabrina," Gerald called out to her as she started trying to push back to where she'd left Roz. "Looks like you need a drink."

He motioned toward the kitchen, motioning for her to follow him into the kitchen but she shook her head. "Roz is holding onto mine." She slipped by him and the other warlocks, intent on finding her best friend. 

Instead she nearly ran into Harvey. 

He didn’t look too steady on his feet and she spotted the cup in his hand, wondering how much he’d had to drink. He stumbled forward a little and Sabrina reached out, catching him, trying to steady him against the wall. “I don’t think I ever told you enough how beautiful you are,” Harvey murmured, arm moving to sling around her shoulders.

He was heavier than she remembered, leaning almost fully onto her as she helped him onto one of the chairs that had been placed in the hallway to make room for the beer pong game. “I think you might need to switch out for water, Harvey,” Sabrina told him, setting the cup to the side. 

She glanced around, wondering if she could spot Theo or Roz and get one of them to get him some. “We were happy, weren’t we?” he continued and she sighed at that.

“We were,” Sabrina replied, trying to be gentle with her words as she peeled his arm off from her. 

“We could be happy again, Brina,” he started, taking hold of her hand and clinging tightly to it. “It won’t be just going through the motions this time. I’ll figure out how to make it--”

“Harvey, no,” Sabrina shook her head, pulling her hand from his. 

“It’s because of him isn’t it?” Harvey asked, his voice bitter as he leaned back against the wall.

“Who?” She didn’t really need to ask, not by the look on his face. 

“Nick.” He practically spat out the other boy’s name. Sabrina had thought the two had been getting along. They weren’t constantly picking at one another like they had in middle school, but it seemed that animosity had just simmered right below the surface. 

Harvey was watching her closely, getting some kind of confirmation from her expression. “Of course it's Nick,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I always knew it would happen with you two.”

“Harvey, you’re drunk,” Sabrina murmured, as he stood up way too quickly, nearly tripping over his own feet.

“How was I ever supposed to compete with that?” Harvey asked before moving away from her, bumping into everyone as he walked through the hall, before tripping down the step that led into the living room. 

He crashed into the coffee table, sending cups in all directions, Sabrina close on his heels, using magic to try and minimize the damage. Theo was at her side in seconds, trying to help a blinking Harvey stand. “I think we should get him home,” Sabrina murmured as Roz and Nick found them. 

“I’ve got the car and I haven’t drank anything,” Theo told her. “He can sleep it off at my place.” 

“I’ll help you get him home,” Roz offered, and all Sabrina could do was nod as the two started leading her ex out of the house. 

The idea of staying any longer at the party soured and she was grateful when Nick reached over, running a finger along her arm. “Come on,” he nodded toward the door. “I think we’re both ready for a walk.”

They headed off in silence, walking along the sidewalks of the small Greendale neighborhood where Lizzie lived until they got to the edge of the forest. Everything felt a little lighter as they crossed the threshold of it. Stepping into the woods always felt a little like coming home to Sabrina, a warm embrace that wrapped steadily around her the further she headed into it. She knew it wasn’t quite the same for the others. 

Her mortal friends found the area to be daunting while even the witches who enjoyed the sense of power that ran through it never seemed exactly at ease in it. Not even her own family who lived right on the outskirts of it ventured into more than they needed to. She could spend hours roaming it, finding items for spells or simply mindlessly walking about, taking in the smells and sounds. 

“What happened?” Nick asked after a few more moments, glancing over at her as they continued walking side by side down the well-worn path.

She crossed her arms at the question, letting out a sigh as she recalled the conversation with Harvey. “He wanted to get back together.” 

“Oh.” 

Nick’s voice sounded strange in that moment, almost fearful, and Sabrina stopped walking, causing him to pause too. “I told him no.”

“Well, he’s drunk. I’m sure he’ll bring it up again when he’s sober,” Nick replied, and she didn’t like how the shadows hid his expression from her view.

“My answer would still be no.” She needed to make that clear. “I mean, I’ll always love him in a way. He was my first love...but I don’t think I’ve been in love with him for awhile.”

“What’s the difference?” Nick asked, trying to understand as they started walking again. 

“It’s like…” Sabrina slowed her pace, trying to figure out how best to explain it. “Whenever anything good or bad happened I always wanted to tell Harvey about it. Anything that was happening in my life I wanted him to be part of it. I would fall asleep thinking about him and wake up sometimes doing the same.”

Nick nodded, understanding that to a degree. “But not anymore.”

“No.” She shook her head as they passed by the clearing with the stone altar. “I think I started to realize that when I didn’t tell him about cheerleading right away. And I think he noticed when he didn’t tell me about submitting his comic strip for the art contest last year.”

“But he wants you back,” Nick pointed out and Sabrina shook her head again.

“I think he wants the idea of us,” she told him, which wasn’t quite the same thing. “Which is what I clung to for a long time. I wanted that fairytale that my mom and dad had, you know? Or at least what I was told they had. I thought it was what my dad wanted me to do too.”

“To be with Harvey?” Nick furrowed a brow, wondering why she had thought that. Though he remembered Sabrina had said she was worried about how Edward Spellman would take the breakup when he’d been eating dinner with the Spellmans.

“You can’t disagree that it worked well for our image here,” Sabrina replied, gesturing around to the woods, nodding toward the path that would lead back into town. “High Priest’s daughter and a mortal boyfriend. Kind of goes well with the whole ‘integrate more among mortals’ policy.”

Nick couldn’t discount that she was correct about that. It _would_ look good for what Edward was working to cultivate...but did that mean she was looking for another mortal to move onto next? His stomach dropped at the idea of that, insides twisting in a way he didn’t like, feeling cold.

“I want someone who challenges me, you know?” Sabrina murmured, looking out into the darkness. “Who loves me and wants to be with me, supports me, but who keeps me on my toes too. Who doesn’t try to hold me back from who I’m becoming.”

“That’s quite a list,” Nick commented, smiling softly at all of it, confident a mortal wouldn’t be able to really offer any of that for her. Not on the path of Night that was laid out in front of her.

“I’m worth it,” Sabrina protested, glancing over at him as she pursed her lips.

“You definitely are,” Nick agreed and she stopped walking then, noting the sincerity mixed with that teasing edge in his voice.

“Nick,” Sabrina started, but her words were cut off as something shot out of the darkness, wrapping around her legs and pulling swiftly. She was dragged backwards through the night as Nick screamed her name, rushing forward to help her before the same thing happened to him. 

It wasn’t cold and slimy like she’d experienced in the locker room, but rough, winding its way up her legs and tightening its grip. More shot out through the darkness, wrapping around her arms, trying for her neck as she realized that it was the roots of the trees that were all around them. She couldn’t understand what it was trying to bring them toward, dragging them through the woods.

Nick was shouting off different spells, but for every root that he managed to dislodge three more moved up, twisting around him, making their way to wrap around his mouth to stop his resistance. The branches lashed at them, slicing cuts into their skin, drawing blood.

Was this what Roz had tried to warn her about? Hadn’t she said something about the woods attacking? She should have paid more attention to that, looked into how the trees could be turned against witches and come up with a defensive strategy. The what-if game wasn’t going to help either of them though, only wasting her energy. 

A heat seemed to spread inside of her that Sabrina had never felt before, bubbling up from her stomach and pushing down toward her toes and up toward her fingers. It was raw, a power that she’d never felt before rushing through her, more frenzied than the magic she’d felt stirring in her as she’d worked with the other witchlings, a hunger to it that terrified her, but she latched onto it, let it rise inside of her until she thought she might burst. 

Fire spread out from her, engulfing the roots that had attached to the two of them, forcing the pieces to quickly release them. A terrible screeching sound echoed through the woods as the roots whipped back into the darkness, dropping them to the ground. The fire extinguished almost as fast as it had formed and she turned quickly, trying to spot Nick in the darkness. 

He was staring at her with wide eyes before he shook his head and scrambled over to her, the both of them reaching for one another as they rose.

"Are you okay?" she asked, their hands clasped tightly together, not wanting to lose sight of one another.

"What the heaven was that?" Nick mentally flipped through his index on magical creatures, trying to come up with anything like that had experienced.

Adrenaline still ran through them, the two breathing hard as they scanned the area for anything that could give them answers. The moonlight wasn't enough to show anything though and Nick didn't want to stick around in case whatever had attacked them came back for round two.

"Let's get out of here," he muttered, giving Sabrina a pointed look when she started to protest.

A simple teleportation spell brought them to the mortuary porch.

Salem was standing on it, meowing as soon as they appeared, almost as if he had been waiting for them. 

“Cousin? Nicholas?” Ambrose asked, rising from the chair he'd sprawled out on, enjoying the moon until they had shown up. “Should I get the aunties and Uncle Edward?” 

“I think we’re going to need some tea,” Nick murmured, still not letting go of Sabrina's hand as Ambrose nodded, heading off to let the others know that something had happened.

Sabrina didn't move to follow though, staring out at the forest and Nick followed her sightline, trying to see if she spotted anything. There was nothing there though. Not that he could see at least.

“Get inside,” Zelda insisted as soon as she looked the two of them over from the doorway, thankful that at least one of them listened to reason as Nick tugged at Sabrina to go inside, Salem on their heels.

She glanced around at the darkness outside, sensing a shift in the air.

Change was coming. And not the kind that she liked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fallout of the end of this chapter continues in the next with Spellman family chats, conversations between friends, and the witchlings getting together to do some more magic together.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


	5. a cautionary tale

“One more time please,” Edward insisted as Hilda fussed over the scrapes and cuts along their arms, working to heal them. 

“We already said what happened,” Sabrina replied, clearly exasperated if the way Salem was pacing back and forth, letting out high pitched meows was any indication. 

“Just a little more detail, sweetheart,” her father pressed, giving her shoulder a squeeze before backing away as Hilda eyed him. He knew better than to get in his sister’s way when she was tending to someone. 

“One more dose of this mixture and these will be healed up by morning,” Hilda murmured, wiping the cream along Sabrina’s cheek. 

She winced at the sting of it but forced a reassuring smile for her aunt before the woman moved over to tend to Nick next. “We were walking home from Lizzie’s--”

“I thought you were at Baxter High,” Zelda interrupted, giving the two a curt look from her spot at the fireplace.

“We were then we all went to Lizzie’s for the after party she was throwing,” Sabrina shrugged, knowing that wouldn’t be too big of a deal. They’d all stuck together.

“We decided to walk back to the mortuary together instead of getting a ride,” Nick continued, offering up his arms to Hilda for inspection.

“Why?” Edward inquired as he sat down, watching the two, trying to decipher anything he might be able to from their expressions and movements.

“It doesn’t matter,” Sabrina grumbled, not about to go into the details of why they had left the party without the others.

“Sabrina,” Zelda sighed, seeing her niece’s expression harden into that stubborn, foolish one that meant they would get no further replies to that line of inquiry.

“I didn’t feel any magic being done,” Nick started, trying to move the conversation back toward the relevant parts. “There wasn’t any shift in the air or the ground or anywhere around us.” Sabrina nodded at that, confirming the lack of change. “We were walking and talking, making our way here. We’d just gotten past the stone altar when we were attacked.”

“Who was attacked first?” Edward asked, watching as the two of them frowned, clearly trying to recollect exactly how it had happened.

“Sabrina was and then it latched onto me as well,” Nick replied after a moment and he watched as his daughter nodded in agreement to that.

“How did you get it to release you?” Edward watched the two of them exchange a look, not quite able to discern what it meant.

“Fire,” they replied at the same time.

“You set it on fire?” Edward asked, wanting to be sure he was getting the right answer.

They nodded again, though he noted the way his daughter looked down at that, letting him know there was more to it than what they were saying. He also knew he wouldn’t be able to pry the information from the young warlock. Nicholas was incredibly loyal to his daughter. Usually that was an endearing quality, but at times like this it only brought about the beginnings of a headache. 

“Right after the stone altar?” Edward continued, watching them nod again. “Alright. Zelda.” He turned toward his sister as he rose, watching her nod, before turning back to the others. “We’ll go check the area out, see if we can find any lingering signs as to what it was or who might have brought it about.”

“I should get home,” Nick murmured, knowing Amalia had to be pacing anxiously about the house wondering what was happening. 

“Let your father know what happened and have him meet us in the woods,” Edward told the boy and Nick nodded at that, watching as the older two Spellmans headed out of the house. 

Hilda finished up tending to his wounds, giving the two of their shoulders a squeeze before heading to put away the medicine. 

Nick waited until he was certain that they were alone before turning to face Sabrina again. “Did you say it in your head?” Because he hadn’t heard her speak any incantation out loud that would have brought about the fire.

From the way she seemed to pale at the question, he knew the answer before she shook her head. “It just...happened.”

“What do you mean?” he leaned forward, watching her struggle for how to explain. Nick knew better than to prod for her to answer, giving Sabrina the time to process was all she usually needed.

“It’s like...it came from inside of me.” She was certain that didn’t quite make sense. Fire didn’t do that, not with their magic, but it was the only way she could seem to explain how it had felt.

“You’re a wonder, Spellman,” Nick murmured, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. At least that seemed to ease some of the tension he saw building up in her.

“Are you…” Sabrina wasn’t even sure what to ask at that moment. Asking how he was doing seemed a little silly.

“I’ll be fine,” Nick assured her, reaching over to squeeze her hand. “I’ll let you know when I’m home. Amalia has to be going mad with worry.”

Salem meowed in agreement to that as he made his way over to Sabrina. Nick leaned over, brushing his lips against Sabrina’s forehead before he teleported away, knowing he needed to do as Father Spellman had asked. The sooner he got word to his father, the better.

Sabrina stared at the spot he’d been in for a long moment before picking up Salem, letting him settle in her arms. She felt the scribble on her arm a few moments later, spotting Nick’s familiar handwriting to let her know he was okay, before sending back a quick message.

Hilda entered the room a few seconds later, a cup of tea in her hands. “Chamomile,” her aunt told her as nodded toward the stairs. “I think it might be needed after tonight’s excitement.” 

“Thanks, Auntie,” Sabrina murmured, taking it from her.

“Drink up and I’ll start a bath for you,” Hilda suggested, pleased when her niece nodded and sipped at the tea.

An hour later Sabrina finally crawled into bed, Salem curling up on the pillow beside her. She heard her aunt and father’s return, the sound of him coming up the stairs toward her room, causing her to wonder if she could play it off that she was sleeping. 

He’d always been good at knowing when she was faking it though.

“Did you use the uro spell?” her father asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching over to brush her hair. 

“I think that’s the one we used,” Sabrina murmured, tucking her hands under her pillow, not quite able to look at him. 

“You’re certain?” Edward pressed and all she could do was nod, not wanting to tell him that the fire seemed to have come from inside of her. “Alright, get some sleep.”

“Daddy?” Sabrina started as he neared the door, waiting until he looked back over at her. “Could you stay until I fall asleep?” 

His expression softened considerably at the question, realizing in that moment just how rattled his daughter was over what had happened. “Of course.” 

He settled back onto the bed. Salem shifted over to a different spot to give him room, and Edward slowly began brushing Sabrina’s hair again. The movement much like he had when she was little and had woken from a nightmare, confident that he could keep all of the bad in the world away from her. Her breathing slowly evened out, her familiar settling in to sleep as well, and Edward sighed, wishing that he could spare her from the horrors that life sometimes offered up. 

But for all of his power, Edward Spellman knew that he’d never be able to protect his daughter from all that would happen in her life. He could only hope that the new world he’d created for witches among mortals would allow her a better life than the one his generation had lived.

* * *

“I swear, you let my cousin out into the world and something is bound to happen,” Ambrose commented as he walked side by side with Nick through the woods around the altar. Other pairs from the two covens were out in the area, scouring it in the daylight for any signs of what creature had been released or spell had been used. “Add in you being with her and it's going to be even crazier than when she’s on her own.”

“Funny, Ambrose,” Nick muttered, trying to keep his focus on the area around them. He still didn’t think it was a spell, certain he or Sabrina would’ve noticed it. But if the creature had already been in the area and simply been waiting...though had it even been a creature? Or had it just been the forest around them?

“So why the walk in the woods anyway?” Ambrose asked, leaning against one of the tree trunks as Nick scanned the forest bed.

He shrugged, knowing the other warlock had been told the same story they’d told last night. “We were heading home.”

Ambrose arched a brow at that. “And you couldn’t teleport?”

“We both wanted the fresh air.” Nick looked up, spotting Ambrose staring at him while tapping his lips. He knew the look the older warlock was giving him all too well. He wouldn’t stop asking and poking until he got an actual answer. He also knew Sabrina wouldn’t care much if her cousin knew what happened. Probably.

Nick glanced around, making sure no one else was within earshot. “Harvey got drunk and tried to get back together with her.”

Ambrose sucked in a breath at that before shaking his head. “That would do it.” He studied Nick carefully. “Since you’re not full of gloom right now, I’m going to guess she said no to him. Which, good on Sabrina. That boy might be talented with a pencil, but he was lackluster in every other area and definitely not enough a challenge for my cousin.”

Nick snorted at that, agreeing with Ambrose’s assessment as the two moved forward, still scanning the area about them. He was about to reply when another group started calling out for the elders. They hurried in the direction, pushing through the small group that had formed, surrounding whatever had been found. The others let them through, not about to block out the son of one High Priest and the nephew of the other. 

There was a dead deer on the ground.

Usually it wouldn’t have been a big deal, something to be noted and moved on from, but there was no hunters arrow or bullet in the creature, no signs of another animal having attacked it either. Instead a symbol Nick had never seen was burnt into its side and from the confusion on Ambrose’s face, he had a feeling the other warlock wasn’t sure what it meant either. 

But his father seemed to know. 

Nick spotted the recognition in Nathaniel’s eyes, that look directed toward Edward Spellman, before the two were waving the others off, directing them to continue checking the other areas. Nick moved as he was told, keeping his attention forward as he murmured a spell that temporarily allowed him and Ambrose to hear what the two men were saying to one another.

“Get word to the council, we’re going to need to have a meeting,” Edward told his father, worry evident in his voice.

Ambrose glanced over at Nick, lips thinning at the words as he nodded for Nick to follow him. “Draw what you saw,” Ambrose muttered, thrusting a stick into his hand.

Nick did so, drawing what he remembered of the symbol, noting that Ambrose drew nearly the same thing in the dirt a foot away from him. “There was a line above that part,” Nick murmured, nodding toward his own drawing. 

“Good eye, Scratch,” Ambrose replied before brushing both images away. “I’ll look through what I can when I get home.” 

Nick nodded. “I’ll see if I can find anything at my house as well.” Because it obviously meant _something_ and if it rattled both his father and Edward Spellman then he wanted to know what it was and why they were worried but trying not to show it.

* * *

Roz frowned as she listened to Sabrina recount what had happened last night after they’d separated. It was similar to the vision she had, but not quite right, making Roz wonder if something else was supposed to happen. She didn’t see anything else when she gripped her friend’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, no sudden rush of images coming forth. It was frustrating that she couldn’t seem to control it, couldn’t will the Cunning to work when she wanted to. She wasn’t even sure _how_ to get better at it, not quite able to practice using it when she had no say on when it happened or not.

“Did your dad find anything?” Theo asked, looking worriedly over at Sabrina from her spot on the floor. 

“Not that he said, but he’s out there again this morning with others to see if they can find anything in the daylight.” There was only so much that could be seen by fire and moonlight.

“Do you think it's tied into what happened in the locker room?” Theo asked and Sabrina frowned at that. She hadn’t really thought they could be tied together.

“I still think that could have been Dorcas,” Sabrina murmured, scrunching her nose as she replayed what had happened in that first day of school. She’d felt the magic then, sensed the spell being cast. There had been no warning last night.

“It wouldn’t be the first time she attacked someone,” Roz commented. The other witch had hexed a number of people at school before because whoever she had her sights on had glanced over at someone else.

“And I didn’t sense anything being summoned or conjured like I did in the locker room,” Sabrina reminded, watching the other two nod along before Theo glanced down at his phone, noting the text message he’d received.

“Harvey says he can’t make it,” he informed the other two.

Sabrina sighed at that, some of the tension she’d been feeling since entering Cerberus Books easing off her a little. Roz noticed it and bumped her knee into her friend’s. “What exactly happened to him? He was really embarrassed when he woke up this morning.”

Sabrina frowned at that. “He wanted to get back together.”

“Oh,” Roz murmured, leaning back against the wall. “I can see why he was embarrassed.”

“Not his finest moment,” Sabrina agreed, before shaking her head. “But I think it’ll blow over soon enough. He was drunk. We all say stupid things when we’re drunk, you know? Plus I think it was more about him not wanting me to…” 

She pressed her lips together, not quite wanting to say the next part out loud. 

“Not wanting you to what?” Roz asked, ignoring the look Theo was giving her. 

“He thought I was going to get together with Nick.” Sabrina shook her head, trying to laugh off the idea. “Crazy, right?”

“Why would that be crazy?” Roz asked, the sincerity in her voice surprising Sabrina. She glanced between the two, biting her lower lip as they stared back at her, waiting for her to answer.

“We’re friends,” Sabrina started, knowing that wasn’t exactly a stellar reason.

“So were you and Harvey,” Theo pointed out and Roz nodded along at that. 

“You both like horror movies, do magic, enjoy debating for hours on end about _everything_ ,” Roz continued and it was Theo’s turn to nod before he was pulling his camera out of his bag.

“Plus,” Theo scrolled through the pictures before turning the camera around, tapping the viewfinder for Sabrina to look at. “The two of you look at each other like this--” He showed her a picture of the two at the Homecoming game, Nick holding her up in the air, the two of them focused on only each other--”All of the--” A quick flick revealed them at the dance the other night, dancing together, Nick’s expression what Sabrina could only describe as adoring--”Time.” Another quick flick and they were at Lizzie’s party, deep in a discussion that Sabrina didn’t quite remember, but she was looking back at Nick in that same way.

Sabrina set the camera down, dropping her head into her hands. “It wouldn’t work.”

“What makes you think that?” Roz asked, nudging her with her knee again.

Because no witch or warlock that was their age was ready for any kind of commitment. This was the time of their lives to explore, to experiment and enjoy life with as many partners as they possibly could. And while Sabrina had no desire for doing that, the idea of sharing anyone she was intimate with didn't bring about the thrill it seemed to bolster in her cousin or Nick even, she didn’t want to squash that for him either. 

“Because when it all crashes and burns I’ll lose him,” Sabrina murmured, staring down at the table. “And I don’t think I could handle that.”

“Maybe it won’t crash and burn,” Theo pointed out and Sabrina shook her head.

“We don’t find the loves of our lives this early in them, Theo.” Even most mortals didn’t. “And I know, I’m probably being completely unreasonable to want that right now anyway when I’m not even sixteen. But I already broke one friendship by dating Harvey and even with that ending well, you can’t deny that things are awkward and not at all like they used to be.”

She was going to lose Roz and Theo as well soon enough. Not to death right away but it was only a matter of time before they would hit the point where their lives would be so vastly different, heading in directions that brought them further away from one another. Nick was her constant, the one who’d be there throughout all the decades and centuries to come. She wouldn’t screw that up over a crush. 

“I can’t lose him like that,” Sabrina breathed out, looking between the other two, not sure they could truly understand what she meant. 

Roz hugged her tightly though while Theo put the camera away before reaching over to squeeze her arm. “I think you’re being silly,” Roz murmured and Sabrina snorted at that. “And not giving Nick or yourself enough credit, but I also know pushing you on things only makes you buckle down harder on your position, so I’ll just be over here, shaking my head at you trying to deny yourself love.”

“There’s more than one type of love,” Sabrina pointed out and Roz poked her in the side at that. 

“You know what I mean.” Roz’s look was pointed and Theo nodded his head, clearly agreeing. “Plus, you think you know what Nick wants but unless you’ve read his mind--which we know you haven’t since he’s got _major_ issues with that because of the Weird Sisters’ games--you might be completely off base.” She leaned back against the booth, shaking a finger when Sabrina opened her mouth to reply to that. “Ever consider that everything he’s been doing with anyone else is him keeping himself occupied because the one he wanted was out of reach?”

“This isn’t a romance novel,” Sabrina replied, rolling her eyes, even if she was wondering if there was any truth to her friend’s words. She shook her head, not wanting to go down that neverending path. 

“I think we’ve imparted enough words of wisdom on Sabrina for the day,” Theo commented and Sabrina nodded in agreement to that while Roz snorted. “We should head out if we want to catch the previews for the movie.”

Sabrina was already rising at that. “Which _we do_.” Sometimes they were the best part of the movie.

“And I want to get popcorn,” Roz added as she rose as well.

“Plus one of those ridiculously big boxes of candy,” Theo suggested. A movie was never complete without the big box of candy.

* * *

“Have you settled on a dress yet, love?” Hilda asked as she sat down on one of the overstuffed chairs, watching her niece work to memorize an incantation from the Spellman grimoire. 

“Does it have to be black?” Sabrina asked, not bothering to look up even as she pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh as she waited for her other aunt’s response.

“Does it have to be-- _Sabrina_ ,” Zelda let out a frustrated huff as she walked into the living room, shaking her head at the girl. “What other color do you think would be fitting for your dedication to the Path of Night? _White_?”

“Red,” Sabrina replied, still not looking up as she traced her fingers along the ancient handwriting, wondering which Spellman relative had recorded this one. 

“Red wouldn’t be _that_ out of the realm of possibility,” Hilda suggested, glancing over at her sister who glared at her.

“Every self-respecting witch in this family has worn black and so will you, young lady,” Zelda informed her, eyeing her niece carefully.

“Then whichever black dress is clean and hanging up in my closet should be fine,” Sabrina continued, before looking up at her aunt, letting her see the mischief in her gaze.

Zelda glared at her, lips pursed as she spotted that look. “You’re as bad as Ambrose.” She was going to start growing grey hairs because of the two of them.

“I was thinking of wearing that black one that dad brought back for me from Milan?” Sabrina suggested, knowing it was best to start trying to lower her aunt’s rising blood pressure.

Zelda settled back against the chair, nodding at that. “That should be suitable. We’ll just need to find an appropriate slip for you to wear under it.” She should be able to pick one up in town during the week from one of the small boutique stores. “We may need to do some alterations, so I expect you to come straight home after your practice tomorrow.”

“Just so I can get the pins in to know where to bring the dress in,” Hilda told her, alleviating some of Sabrina’s fear that she’d be giving up all of friend time for the next week. “Shouldn’t take more than an hour at most.”

“And we’ll need to start you on the purification process. A saltwater soak tomorrow night to cleanse you from any toxins,” Zelda continued and Sabrina scrunched her nose at that. “Goat’s milk on the next two nights. The blood one on Friday--it’s a pity we don’t have any bodies in the mortuary right now. Human blood is always preferred but goat’s will do.”

“I wouldn’t be okay with bathing in human blood anyway,” Sabrina pointed out, shuddering at the idea of it.

“Less bathing and more scrubbing it on your body and then washing it away,” Hilda told her, pressing her lips together when she realized that probably didn’t make it any better. 

“It’s not like we go out and deliberately kill someone for the blood,” Zelda replied, tsking the two of them. Sabrina was fairly certain she heard her aunt mumble, ‘at least not anymore’ after that, but she was going to pretend she didn’t. 

She was going to turn back to the grimoire, letting her aunts continue the conversation on their own, when she spotted Nick and Ambrose coming out of one of the other rooms together, deep in a quiet conversation. Sabrina excused herself from the room, slowly following after the two until they were all standing outside on the porch. 

“What’s going on?” Sabrina asked, arching a brow at how the two jumped slightly at her voice, obviously not expecting her presence. 

“Nothing for you to worry about, cousin,” Ambrose brushed off the question as he sat down on one of the rocking chairs, giving Nick a look.

“You need to focus on getting ready for your baptism,” Nick added, and Sabrina narrowed her eyes at that, looking between the two. 

“It’s in a week. I think I can focus on two things at once,” she replied, crossing her arms as she watched the two of them.

“I’ve got to go,” Nick jutted his thumb out toward the stairs, Ambrose hurriedly nodded in agreement. That only solidified Sabrina’s instinct that they were deliberately hiding something from her.

“I’ll see you at the witchling gathering tonight?” she called out before he fully turned around. She ignored Ambrose’s groan, watching Nick look back at her.

“You’re going?” he asked, eyeing her carefully. 

“I said I would,” Sabrina reminded, stepping forward so that she was in front of her cousin, blocking Nick’s view of him. Not that it mattered much considering Ambrose was waving his arms, trying to get Nick to leave.

“Say no, Scratch,” Ambrose butted in, pulling Sabrina down onto his lap. “She’s just going to use it as an opportunity to pester you with questions after she can’t pry the answer from me.”

She elbowed her cousin in the stomach, pleased with his little ‘oomph’ before focusing on Nick. “Don’t make me go alone,” she pleaded, pouting for extra measure.

Nick sighed at that even as he narrowed his eyes at her. “I’ll pick you up at eight for it.”

Sabrina tried not to convey how smug she felt in that moment, knowing she was failing miserably by how Nick rolled his eyes at her before teleporting away. “Must be nice having him wrapped around your finger,” Ambrose commented and Sabrina tried to get up, grumbling when her cousin only wrapped his arms tighter around her.

“He is not,” Sabrina replied as she rested back against her cousin. “What’s going on, Ambrose? You know I hate being kept in the dark.”

“Not here,” her cousin murmured as he let go of her and nodded for the two to head for a walk. 

Sabrina headed off with him, traveling down the dirt driveway and out to the main road. They stuck to the side of it, not that there would be any cars out near their house. No one ventured toward the Spellman place unless they were coming to drop off or see a body.She listened to Ambrose tell her about what had been found in the woods and the conversation Nick and him had overheard between his father and hers. 

“They never call a council meeting unless it's something serious,” Sabrina murmured, brow furrowing as Ambrose stopped, watching as he drew the symbol in the ground. “I’ve seen that before.”

Her cousin looked up at that, eyes wide. “Where?” Because he’d looked through all of the books in their house that involved symbology and hadn’t come across it.

“In one of dad’s journals. It's just a doodle he does in the margins of the one I’m reading.” Something so innocuous that she was surprised she even remembered it.

“You’re sure?” Ambrose asked as he rose.

Sabrina nodded, teleporting the two of them into her room before retrieving the journal from her bedside table. She flipped through it until she got to the page where the symbol started to pop up in the margins, a few other ones scattered in them as well. Ambrose sat down on her bed, looking through the book, spotting the symbol. It still didn’t _mean_ anything to him but the fact that Uncle Edward had seen it before and made note of it was definitely adding credence to the something being wrong.

“Make sure you mention this to Nick in between flirting with him later tonight,” Ambrose told her, trying to lighten the mood that had fallen in the room.

Sabrina tugged the book from his hand, lightly swatting him with it. 

“It obviously means something, but...I say we try not to worry about it until we get some more information,” Ambrose added, bumping his shoulder into hers. “Because Aunt Zee might have a heart attack if you’re even a little distracted from your Dark Baptism preparation this week.”

Sabrina stuck her tongue out at him as he reached over, ruffling her hair. “Besides, whatever it is, Uncle Edward can handle it,” Ambrose pointed out and Sabrina had to agree with that. 

There wasn’t a magic problem that her father hadn’t been able to conquer yet. 

Everything was going to be fine.

* * *

True to his word, Nick was at the mortuary at eight o’clock to head over to the witch gathering with her. They walked side by side through the woods, not quite as carefreely as they had done previously, the need to be alert ringing in the back of both their minds. Nick frowned as he heard movement in the underbrush off to the side, spotting a familiar black silhouette moving about, another brown one moving along with it.

“We’re being followed,” Nick murmured, nudging her in the direction of the interlopers. 

Sabrina frowned as she spotted her father’s familiar and Nick’s father’s prowling in the area near them, clearly on tailgating duty. “They haven't done this since I was like five and you were seven and we used to disappear into the woods to explore them.”

“You really wanted to find that house made of candy,” Nick reminded, laughing as he remembered how annoyed she’d been at that particular tale being a lie.

“I’m still disappointed it wasn’t a real thing,” Sabrina muttered before stopping and turning to face the two familiars. Her hands rested on her hips as she gave both animals a pointed look. “Please go inform our dads that we don’t need babysitters.”

If wolves could actually roll their eyes, Sabrina was pretty sure Dione would have done so. Rhea let out a low growl causing Sabrina to purse her lips at the leopard’s reply. “That’s not fair.”

The leopard simply stared back at her and Nick tugged on her sleeve, knowing they weren’t going to win this round with either creature. “Stick far enough back from the gathering to not attract attention, hmmm?” he suggested to the two. “Unless you want us to explain why we’re being followed. Which I’m guessing is because what was stumbled upon earlier isn’t as meaningless as our fathers were trying to imply.”

Dione’s answering howl at that had Nick shrugging before he pulled on Sabrina, happy he’d won that round. Even if the familiar wasn’t going to let him hear the end of it later on. “I think we might need to try accessing some of the books Cassius keeps under lock and key at the library for answers on that symbol,” Sabrina told him as they started walking again.

“I’ve got a handful already listed that I want to ask him to take out for us tomorrow,” Nick agreed, mentally going through the list again. “Did you figure out which journals come after the one you’ve got with the symbols in it?”

“Yeah, and _thankfully_ I already pulled them out of the study to look through because I’m pretty sure this,” she waved between them and the two familiars still moving off to the side, “Is going to tip them off that we’re looking into it.” Sabrina had a feeling her dad would try to place the journals out of her reach then, but since they were already locked up tight in her drawer he would be out of luck. She’d just deal with him asking for them back later on, confident she could out stubborn him.

“I have a feeling they’d have figured out we were looking into it soon enough anyway,” Nick bumped his shoulder into hers. “We’re kind of notorious for poking around.” He wasn’t wrong. “Though I guess you didn’t actually need me to come with you to this gathering since you already got answers from Ambrose.”

“I still would have needed you to come with me,” Sabrina shook her head, slowing down a bit as they spotted the fire up ahead, signalling that they were almost there. “You’re a good buffer.”

“You need a buffer?” Nick arched a brow at that.

“Paige and Lavina are getting more and more insistent about the whole Dorian’s thing,” Sabrina scrunched her nose. She really didn’t want to have that conversation again. It was daunting. “And okay, so like maybe part of me is like I’ll be sixteen. I _should_ be having fun and exploring my options.” The others seemed to be able to without any sort of emotional consequence. Though considering Dorcas’s jealousy issues that wasn’t exactly true.

“But?” Nick asked, watching as she sighed.

“I don't want my first time to happen in a ritual or an orgy.” She couldn’t quite look at him. “Or in some room at Dorian’s.”

“Sabrina,” he started, reaching over to touch her arm, thankful that she looked at him. 

“I want it with someone I trust and love, you know?” Sabrina asked, searching his expression for understanding. “And I know, I’m probably being silly. It’s not like my mom was my dad’s first or vice versa.” But the idea of waiting for centuries to find the warlock or witch she wanted to spend the rest of her centuries with seemed daunting. 

Everything about how witch time worked was something she couldn’t wrap her head around. Was that because of her mortal side? It didn’t seem to be something that the others worried about at all. Or was that because they’d had their Dark Baptism already? Ambrose told her that it was like a veil was removed from their eyes after it happened, the possibilities of the universe opening up for them.

His hadn’t been with either someone he loved or trusted. Instead with some older warlock boy a few days after his Dark Baptism when all of that desire and need had reached a boiling point and he hadn’t been able to hold back any longer. He knew it had been similar experiences for most in the gathering up ahead as well. That didn’t mean it would be for Sabrina though, but he also knew she was looking at everything through a very mortal lens at the moment. It would change in a week’s time, but she didn’t need that pointed out again for her.

“Then that’s what it will be, Spellman,” Nick assured her, giving her arm a squeeze. “You’re stubborn enough to make sure it is.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” she poked him in the chest and he caught her hand, laughing at her pinched nose, reminding him of her Aunt Zelda in that moment.

“It was,” he promised, giving her hand a squeeze. “Do you remember what you said after we taught everyone the spell? How you were feeling then?” Nick waited until she nodded before reaching over to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. “That's what you're going to feel like after your Dark Baptism. Only it'll be ten times stronger. Everything you feel will be that much stronger, Sabrina.”

Every emotion, every sensation. The need for release--especially in regards to using magic--was practically unbearable in those first few weeks. “I’d tell you to stop getting stuck in that head of yours but we both know that’s a lost cause,” Nick continued, grinning at her as she scrunched her nose, before tugging her to keep moving. The familiars stayed behind, keeping out of sight from the others, not wanting to alert anyone else to their presence. 

“It’s about time,” Prudence commented as they stepped into the clearing, looking down at their clasped hands before shaking her head at Nick. “Hopefully you’re ready to do some magic. The time for idle chit chat is through.”

“And here we were really hoping to get your opinion on a myriad of things,” Nick replied, sighing dramatically at the missed opportunity as she narrowed her eyes and turned away from them, motioning for everyone to get into a circle. 

Sabrina pressed a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter, elbowing Nick as best she could before heading over to the circle with him. The magic swelled quickly between the group, flowing freely through and around them as they all repeated the incantation. The candles placed in front of them all lit, flames dancing in the darkness as their words finished.

“Since we’re all otherwise occupied for the blood moon this Saturday,” Prudence started and Sabrina raised her chin as everyone’s gaze moved to her. “We’ll be finishing our spell we started nearly a month ago now. Your intentions should be coming true. Focus on what it was that you wanted, use the energies of the moon nearly at its fullest to seal the deal.”

Everyone’s focus shifted to the candles in front of them, repeating the words they’d been speaking only moments before, trying to put their intentions out into the world. She had to close her eyes at the enormity of the magic thrumming through her body, letting it wash through her as her grip tightened on Nick’s hand, needing his presence to help keep her locked to the ground. She felt like she could have flown in that moment, drifted up toward the moon and never set foot back on the ground. His fingers curled around hers, giving her hand that double squeeze of theirs one more time.

A harsh ascending call broke everyone from their chanting though, causing every witchling in the circle to look up, spotting the magpies flying over their heads. Sabrina tried to count how many there were and spotted Nick doing the same from beside her as the others watched and waited to see what the birds were doing. 

“I’ve got seventeen,” Nick murmured and Sabrina nodded, confirming that amount. 

They watched as the birds flew up into the air before all jumping back as the parliament of birds dive bombed toward the ground in front of the candles, slamming into it. Sabrina pressed a hand to her mouth as each one hit the ground, necks snapping at the impact. She could hear the others gasping in surprise, comments being made by everyone around her. 

There was a bird for each of them, one had landed in front of each candle. 

Nick spotted the same thing, turning from the group and searching out into the darkness for Dione’s eyes. He nodded at the familiar, spotting Rhea standing beside him and watched as the two turned, knowing it would only be moments before Edward Spellman and his own father showed up to take in the situation.

The two warlocks appeared in the clearing before anyone else had time to notice he’d done anything. Prudence looked over at Sabrina, lips pursed in obvious annoyance, believing she’d been the one to contact the older two, but Nick shook his head, letting her know it was him. This kind of omen wasn’t something they could simply brush under the rug. Not after the attack the other night.

“Gather your things and teleport straight to your homes,” Edward informed the lot as he looked around, making eye contact with each of them. “Do not step out of it until the morning light. Do you understand me?” 

Everyone nodded, not one among them offering up a gripe at the gravity of his voice, the others all starting to do as he said. Edward beckoned for Nick and Sabrina to head over to them. “I think it might be best if Nicholas stays at the mortuary tonight,” Edward started, looking over at Nathaniel, who nodded in agreement. 

“I doubt either of us will be getting back to our houses before morning,” Nathaniel murmured, already mentally going through the list of others they’d need to call in on this. 

“What does this mean, daddy?” Sabrina asked but Edward shook his head, letting her know now wasn’t the time for answers. 

“Straight to the mortuary and inside, none of that roof nonsense, understand me?” Edward looked between the two, waiting for them to nod before waving his familiar forward. “Tell your Aunts I need them here.”

They nodded again before Nick gripped her hand tightly and teleported the two of them away, knowing no one in their community would be getting any sleep that night.

* * *

“It's an omen,” Ambrose started from his spot on one of the couches and Sabrina rolled her eyes at the obviousness of that statement. She narrowly caught the pillow her cousin threw at her, sticking her tongue at him as Salem let out a howl over the disturbance to his position on her lap.

“We kind of figured, Ambrose,” Nick murmured, rubbing at his temples as he racked his brain while attempting to figure out where he’d seen something similar before. 

“Marking death for a witch family,” Ambrose added and Sabrina frowned at that, sinking back against the back of the couch she was sitting in front of. Salem pressed his head into her stomach, demanding that she resume petting him. “How many were there exactly?”

“One for each of us. So seventeen,” Sabrina replied as she started stroking her familiar’s head again.

“And one of each landed right in front of you?” Ambrose asked, looking between the two and watching as they nodded. “Well, that’s certainly not good. Though it doesn’t necessarily mean that _you_ will be the one to die either. Just that someone in your family will.”

Sabrina’s brow furrowed at that. “That’s not really helping.”

“It’s also not necessarily going to actually happen,” Ambrose pointed out as Amalia entered the room, heading over to where Nick was sprawled out in front of the fireplace. He reached up as she settled beside him, running his hand through her fur. “Someone might have sent the birds to do that instead of them doing it on their own. None of you would have noticed any magic being performed around you if you were knee deep in your own.”

“True,” Nick murmured, none of them were quite at the level of control to be able to distinguish between magic they were currently performing and a spell being done around them.

“They’ll be able to figure out if that’s the case by examining the birds and the area,” Ambrose continued, watching as Salem left Sabrina’s lap and headed over to the wolf. He arched a brow as Amalia bent her head down, the two rubbing their heads together in greeting. He didn’t think he’d ever seen them do that before. “Though that begs the question of why someone would be trying to scare not only a group of witchlings in such a way but also be sending Uncle Edward and your father such a message.”

“I guess its too much to hope that it was just some stupid prank,” Sabrina sighed as she let her head drop back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

“I doubt it considering we were already being followed on our way to the gathering,” Nick reminded, spotting Ambrose’s arched brow at that. “Rhea and Dione were sent to be our shadows.”

“Definitely more of a significance to that symbol we found earlier than they’re wanting to let on,” Ambrose murmured, trying to think of any that it was similar to. “Might not hurt to ask Dorian if he’s ever seen it before. He knows a lot more about a lot of matters than he likes to let on.”

Nick nodded, unsurprised to know that was the case. The warlock kept drinks and other pleasures flowing in the direction of every witch and warlock who could pay or strike a good enough deal with him. And secrets had always been one of Dorian’s favorite pieces of currency. 

Sabrina scowled as her father’s familiar headed into the room, looking around at all of them, before focusing in on her. “It isn’t even ten,” Sabrina protested after the leopard grunted at her. 

Rhea let out another grunt before looking toward the entryway that led to the stairwell. “I’m not five anymore, you can’t tell me what to do.”

Nick snorted at that. “You didn’t listen when you were five either.”

“No, but at least then she was able to drag her wherever she needed her to be,” Ambrose pointed out as the familiar mewed while stepping closer to Sabrina. “You should get some sleep, cousin. You need to be up bright and early for the first of many rituals to cleanse your body for the ceremony this weekend.”

Sabrina didn’t move, in a stare off with the familiar instead and Nick shook his head, knowing the two could stay like that for a while if they let them. He pushed himself up, Amalia following along with him as he moved over to Sabrina, extending a hand. “Come on, you need to show me which room is mine for the night.”

“The same one that’s always yours when you stay over,” Sabrina muttered even as she let him pull her up. She pointed a finger at the leopard. “Don’t think you won this.” Rhea simply bumped her head into Sabrina’s side, pushing her toward the stairs. Salem hissed at that but darted between Sabrina’s legs, not wanting to be picked up like a cub as the other familiar had done before. 

“Try to have pleasant dreams, cousin,” Ambrose called out as they left the room, knowing he wouldn’t be getting any sleep until the others made it back to the mortuary. 

“Are you going to be able to sleep?” Nick asked as they crossed through the doorway at the top of the stairs. 

“I have a feeling this one--” She jutted a thumb toward the leopard standing by her side. Salem had jumped up into her arms, wanting to be held and out of the way from the other familiar’s jaws. “Isn’t going to let me get out of bed anyway, so yeah. I’ll fall asleep eventually.”

Amalia had already left the group and headed down the hall toward the room Nick would be occupying for the night. Nick held up an arm. “You know how to reach me if you want to talk.”

“That goes for you too,” Sabrina told him, reaching over to give his hand a squeeze before Rhea butted her in the side again. “I’m _coming_.”

Nick shook his head, letting out a laugh as Sabrina scowled and Salem hissed, watching as Sabrina followed her father’s familiar to her bedroom. He waited until she was inside of it and the door closed, confident that Rhea would keep an eye on her, before turning and heading to the spare room he’d be using for the night. Amalia was already laying at the foot of the bed and looked up at him before barking. 

“She’s definitely loved,” he replied to his familiar as he headed over, running his hands through her fur before sitting down on the bed. Amalia let out another bark in reply and Nick shook his head. “I know you do, Amalia. Come on. We should try to get some sleep.”

There was no telling how long it would take the others to get back to the mortuary and he wanted to be awake and alert in the morning, ready to research and take on anything else that might come their way next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, everyone. I love seeing everyone's thoughts and theories. Things have definitely heated up for the witches in Greendale.
> 
> Next chapter is the lead up to Sabrina's Dark Baptism and the actual Baptism. It's bound to be a wild ride.


	6. bells, books, and candles

“What’s our plan with Cassius?” Sabrina asked as soon as she sat down at the table in the cafeteria.

“And a hello to you too, Sabrina,” Nick replied as he rubbed his hands together, gaze sticking to the brown bag in front of him. Hilda had packed lunch that morning and he couldn’t wait to see what deliciousness awaited him.

Sabrina rolled her eyes, poking him in the side. “We came to school together, Nick. You ate across from me at the breakfast table. We’re way past hello.” 

“Why did you eat breakfast together?” Theo asked, sitting down on the tail end of her comment, arching a brow at the two of them.

“I slept at the mortuary last night,” Nick replied as he pulled out the overstuffed sandwich, licking his lips as he took out a brownie next.

Sabrina glared at him, knowing he was deliberately avoiding the actual conversation they needed to have. “Don’t even think of hexing my food, Spellman,” Nick warned, spotting that narrowing of her eyes as she watched him revel in all of the food. “I’ll just eat yours if you do.”

“So why was Nick spending the night at your place?” Theo tried again as he leaned forward, watching the never ending battle of wills between the two. 

Sabrina grumbled something neither of them could quite make out as she opened her own bag and pulled out the pieces of her lunch. Nick opened his mouth to answer Theo, quickly shutting it again as Prudence and her sisters took up different spots along the bench, a few of the other witchlings making their way over as well. There was usually plenty of space at their table, but with the extra witches and warlocks looking a mixture of anxious and expectantly at Sabrina and Nick there wasn’t an inch of area to maneuver around.

“Should I go?” Theo whispered and Nick and Sabrina shook their heads. It wasn’t like they would be keeping anything from him or the others anyway.

“What did they find?” Prudence asked, looking between the two for answers, the others nodding along with her question.

“We don’t know,” Sabrina replied and Nick nodded along with that. 

“They were still searching the woods this morning,” he added. Hilda had come back in the early morning hours, ensuring Sabrina started the cleansing ritual and making them breakfasts and lunch before heading out again.

“All of them are there,” Paige murmured, looking around at the other witchlings. “Lavina said her parents went out to the woods. And so did Aeneas’. And mine.”

“Father Blackwood went as well,” Agatha offered up. Dorcas nodded along to that while Prudence simply stared at Nick and Sabrina as others added in comments about their own parents or guardians having headed out to the woods.

“Obviously it’s an omen of some kind,” Prudence started, the others nodding along at that. “Death to someone in our families if the saying is correct.”

“We’re not sure if it's an actual omen or if someone caused the birds to do that,” Nick butted in, not sure if that helped ease anyone’s fears.

“Why would anyone make a bunch of birds kill themselves?” Paige asked, shuddering as she remembered the sound of the birds slamming against the ground.

Prudence pursed her lips. “To send a message.”

“What could that message possibly be?” Melvin asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer to that.

“There’s seventeen of us and seventeen died,” Prudence continued, watching as Nick and Sabrina nodded. “So I would wager it's something along the lines of none of us being safe.”

“I think it's more specific than that,” Nick told her. It wasn’t something for each family. It was specifically meant for them to see and alert the others to. “None of the _children_ are safe.”

No community ever wanted to be given such a message, but for the witch community whose children were few and far between, it was something that sent dread right to the heart of the community. The death of any of them meant an ending to a family line that went back for centuries. None of them had a sibling--not by birth. The Weird Sisters considered themselves as such but they were all orphans under Father Blackwood’s care. That had to be why every adult in their community was out in those woods, trying to determine what the birds meant. 

“Definitely not a message one wants to receive before a Dark Baptism,” Prudence offered up, her gaze moving to focus on Sabrina. 

“Or at any time,” Nick snapped, eying her carefully. He felt Sabrina stiffen beside him, not liking the implication from the other witch.

“Curious though that it happens now, so close to the ritual,” Prudence continued, looking around at all of the other witchlings in the area. 

Causing discord was something Prudence thrived on and Nick wasn’t about to let that play out here. “Who all knew we were having that gathering that _you_ organized?”

She snapped her attention back to him, pressing her lips together at his question. “It wasn’t exactly a secret.”

“Might want to make sure the next one is,” Nick suggested, before taking a bite of his sandwich. “Never a good thing for too many to know a witch’s business.”

Her smile was anything but nice as she rose, her sisters following suit. “Keep us informed, hmm?”

“We’ll think about it,” Nick replied, shrugging as they headed off before looking over at the others. They were all staring at him and Sabrina, looking for some kind of hope in that moment and Nick knew they were going to need to be the ones to provide some sort of answer. “We’ll let you guys know as soon as we know anything, okay?”

“Thanks,” several of them murmured before heading off to their usual tables as well.

“So...what happened exactly?” Theo asked, nodding along as Nick explained all that had happened the night prior. He reached over, rubbing Sabrina’s arm in an attempt to ease some of the tension he’d seen rise in her after Prudence’s comments.

Sabrina added in a comment here or there before her attention shifted to the cafeteria doors, spotting Roz and Harvey heading inside. Harvey stopped as he spotted them, mumbling something to Roz before heading back out again, and Sabrina sighed as Roz joined them. “He wants to work on his sculpture during lunch today,” Roz told them. 

He wanted to avoid them. _Her_. Harvey wanted to avoid her and Sabrina couldn’t really blame him. She picked at the sandwich Hilda had made, appetite gone as Nick filled in Roz next. Theo nudged her foot underneath the table, getting Sabrina to look up at him, thankful for the smile her friend offered up. 

“I haven’t seen anything else,” Roz frowned, reaching over to pick up Nick’s bag and then Sabrina’s. She narrowed her eyes, trying to force the Cunning to start, to show anything that might give them answers, but nothing happened. 

“We know you’d tell us if you did,” Sabrina reassured her, reaching over to squeeze her friend’s hand. 

“What do you think they’re going to do?” Theo asked, looking between the two. “Your parents and the other elders?”

“I’m guessing we’re going to be carefully watched,” Sabrina frowned, wondering if the others had their parents’ familiars hanging around outside the school as well. 

“Probably a curfew,” Nick added. Dorian’s might hurt for business for a few nights until the elders were a bit more comfortable with them moving freely about.

“No wandering in the woods and sticking in pairs at the least,” Sabrina murmured. Good thing she’d been allowed to learn the teleportation spell over the summer. 

“Do you think it’ll affect your birthday?” Roz asked.

“Doubtful,” Nick offered up, shaking his head. “That’s not the sort of thing we can just push off to another date. Especially not with the blood moon falling on that night. I bet there will be extra protections put in place though.” Though...could that be why someone had done this? To try and delay Sabrina’s Dark Baptism?

He glanced over at her, watching as she furrowed her brow and he wondered if she was thinking the same thing. Nick couldn’t think of anyone who might want to. The Weird Sisters could be assholes about her being part mortal and a few of the adults in either coven had some choice opinions on it as well, but anyone who was a witch and living in Greendale had come or stayed in it because they wanted to see Edward Spellman’s manifesto that promoted witch and mortal relations play out. Sabrina’s baptism was pretty key to continuing that reality moving forward. 

Nick spotted Sabrina’s hands under the table, watched as she balled them tightly into fists, trying to get them to stop shaking. The table rattled slightly before she closed her eyes. He reached under, taking hold of one, giving it a squeeze as she gripped back tightly before taking a deep breath, working to get her emotions under control. 

“Can we help at all?” Theo asked, looking between the two of them. “I can see if Aunt Dorothea has heard or seen anything.”

“And I can listen for anything that I hear around the house or church,” Roz offered. “I know my dad said something about a Council Meeting happening this week.”

“Yeah, they were planning on calling one,” Nick murmured, remembering the conversation he and Ambrose had overheard. 

“If I help collect the coats I might pick on something,” Roz reminded them and they all nodded. It wasn’t a bad idea.

“And we’ll see if we can find anything that ties this back to the symbol that was apparently found in the woods after we were attacked,” Sabrina sighed, leaning forward against the table as she pushed at the sandwich. 

“Well...at least Greendale is never boring,” Theo commented, causing the other three to snort before he reached over, tapping the wrapped dessert Sabrina hadn’t opened yet. “Also if you’re not going to eat that brownie I want it.”

She laughed at that, relaxing a little as the conversation shifted back to something a bit more normal for them. “It’s all yours, Theo.”

* * *

“Isn’t that your aunt?” one of the other cheerleaders commented as Sabrina headed out of the gym with them. 

She pressed her lips together as she spotted Zelda leaning against the hearse in the high school parking lot. The older witch was taking a long drag from a cigarette, ignoring the no smoking sign only a foot or so away from her. Sabrina might not have been able to see her aunt’s gaze because of the sun glasses she was wearing, but she could imagine the utter disdain in them as she looked around at all of the high schoolers heading out to their cars or ready to walk to their next destination.

After a hurried goodbye to the others, Sabrina headed over, knowing her aunt had to be there for her. “You never pick me up.”

“Because you haven’t wanted to drive in the hearse since middle school,” Zelda reminded, nodding for Sabrina to go around to the passenger seat before dropping the cigarette onto the ground, stubbing it out with the heel of her shoe.

“I like walking,” Sabrina grumbled as she got into the car, making sure to buckle up. 

“Well, you’re not walking this week and there will be no Cerberus books after school either,” Zelda informed her as she started to back up. 

“But Aunt Zee,” Sabrina started. That had not been what they had talked about the other day. She was supposed to come home right away today for the fitting and not stay out too late so she could complete the purification ritual but she was supposed to still be able to hang out with her friends. 

“You’re well aware that what happened out in those woods is not normal,” Zelda replied, not bothering to sugarcoat the situation. “Between the attack on you and Nicholas and then this business with the magpies--you’re lucky school is even in session for you right now.” Sabrina clutched at the seat as Zelda made a sharp turn. “Besides, there’s far too much we need to do to get you ready for your Dark Baptism. You’ll be able to eat all the greasy food you want with your friends after it.”

She frowned at that, not liking the statement at all about how school could have been canceled. That definitely didn’t bode well for anyone. “Do we know why the birds came and did that?”

Zelda’s gaze was sharp as she looked at her, stopping at a stop sign. “That’s not your concern. Or Nicholas. Or any of the other childrens. It’s being handled so let it be.” Sabrina pursed her lips at that, ready to reply, but Zelda held up a hand, cutting her off. “You have far more important things to focus on right now anyway, Sabrina.”

“Like being poked and prodded for a couple of hours,” Sabrina muttered, leaning back against the seat as Zelda pulled off to the road that would lead to the mortuary.

“You’re embarking on one of the most sacred moments of a young witch’s life,” Zelda reminded, giving her another curt look as Sabrina leaned forward to touch the radio dials. “You’re becoming a full-fledged member of the coven, your _father’s_ coven and one day, perhaps, even your own.”

Sabrina glanced over at her aunt then, music forgotten. “You think?”

Zelda clucked her tongue at that. “What have I always told you?” 

“That I’m a Spellman and Spellman women are all destined for greatness,” Sabrina replied as she leaned back against the seat. “Especially with the barriers daddy is helping to tumble for us.”

“His policies do make it less of a hurdle for all of us,” Zelda nodded as she pulled up to the mortuary. “Though never expect not to have to fight tooth and nail for everything that you want and deserve.” Even with the changes being made in Greendale, it was still very much a man’s world in the rest of it, and she wouldn’t have her niece unprepared to deal with that harsh reality. “Now let’s get this dress done so we can start on your bath.”

It wasn’t long before Sabrina was standing in the middle of the living room with Hilda working to tuck and pin the fabric of the black dress, Zelda instructing the whole thing. The furniture had been moved out of the way to give Hilda more room to maneuver around, pin between her teeth as she fluttered around Sabrina, moving this piece and that. Salem had curled up in front of the fireplace, enjoying the heat of the fire as Sabrina tried not to move unless directed. 

“Have you considered what your offering will be?” Hilda asked as she started in on the back of the dress. Her niece’s diminutive stature meant the waistline didn’t hit quite right, something she meant to fix before Saturdays’ event. 

“Remember, it needs to be something you deem sacred,” Zelda informed her as she placed a hand against Sabrina’s back, indicating how low she thought the back should drop. 

Hilda made a face at that, not liking how low her sister was wanting it. “It doesn’t have to be anything big, sweetheart. Just a bit sentimental. I gave my first ever pressed herb.”

“As lackluster as they come,” Zelda commented, reiterating with her hand where she wanted the back to fall.

“The Dark Lord accepted it,” Hilda reminded and Sabrina glanced over at Salem, watching her familiar open one eye to look at her.

She wouldn’t be surprised if she was accidentally pricked by a few pins if the two kept up their bickering. “You want something that signifies you’re taking that step forward in your life, Sabrina,” Zelda continued as she stepped in front of her again. “Letting go of childish ways and becoming a young witch.”

Sabrina nodded. “My rabbit.”

“What was that, love?” Hilda asked, looking up from the fabric.

“I think it should be my rabbit,” Sabrina told them. “My stuffed one.” The one she’d had since she was a baby.

“Are you certain?” Hilda frowned, looking over at Zelda. “Your mother bought that for you.” 

“I know.” She’d been told that all of her life. “I’ll still have the blanket she made me.” And out of the two, it was the quilt that she wanted to keep. Her mother had made that, making it seem more personable than the toy that had been purchased. Even if she’d never let the rabbit out of her reach those first few years of her life.

“That should do it,” Hilda patted her shoulder as Zelda nodded. 

“I believe your father gave the first journal he ever wrote,” Zelda commented and Sabrina arched a brow. She hadn’t known that. “Mine was a page from my grimoire--the first spell our father ever taught me.”

“And Nicholas gave his favorite book,” Hilda added, and Sabrina took a breath, trying not to react to his name. 

But speaking of that warlock…

“How...different am I going to feel?” Sabrina looked between the two, watching as Zelda arched a brow.

“What do you mean?” her aunt asked and Sabrina frowned, not quite sure how to word it with Hilda present. 

“Everyone keeps implying that I’m going to be….” She paused, trying to come up with the right words.

“Horny as hell,” Zelda offered up, causing Hilda to drop the pins she was holding.

“Zelda!” she snapped at her sister, giving her a cutting look.

“Stop being such a prude, Hildy,” Zelda rolled her eyes and reached over to take Sabrina’s hands. “I’m simply stating what transpires.”

Hilda grumbled incoherently as she worked to gather what she’d dropped while Zelda squeezed Sabrina’s hands. “Everything about you is going to be heightened, Sabrina. Your emotions, your powers, your senses, and yes, your libido will be as well. You’ll be tied even more to the wax and wane of the moon, the pull of the tides. The world around you will open in ways you never thought possible.”

She held up a hand as she stepped away, heading out of the room. “Just because that might happen doesn’t mean you need to do anything though, love,” Hilda started and Sabrina turned to look at her. “Your choices are your own and it doesn’t matter if everyone else is…” Hilda took a deep breath.

“Having sex,” Zelda supplied as she walked back in, holding a book in her hands. “S-e-x.”

“I can spell it, thanks,” Hilda muttered, glaring at her sister. “I’m just saying simply because all of those emotions are heightened right after doesn’t mean you need to act on them--”

“Though there’s nothing saying that you shouldn’t--” Zelda interrupted with a shrug as Hilda huffed. “Most do in those first few weeks.”

“But _not all_ ,” Hilda reminded, giving her sister a curt look. “And there is nothing wrong if you wish to be one of those who doesn’t, Sabrina.”

Zelda waved her off before handing over the book to her niece. 

Sabrina looked down at it, brow furrowing as she read the title, cheeks turning a bit red as she realized it was a book about one’s sexual awakening. “This should explain some of what you’ll feel, that pull toward the more carnal magics that will come over you,” Zelda continued. “Remember, Sabrina, our religion isn’t prudish like the False God’s. We embrace our emotions, our instincts.”

“Except we have to be pure for our Dark Baptism,” Sabrina pointed out. 

Zelda shrugged before nodding at the book again. “Give it a read tonight. I think it’ll be enlightening for you.” 

Sabrina nodded, looking back down at the cover. It couldn’t hurt to at least read it, right?

* * *

“I am going to need sustenance before I even attempt to look through another of these,” Ambrose groaned as he closed the latest book. He rubbed at his temples, irritated that so far they had come up empty handed on the symbol that had been on the deer and in his uncle’s journals.

Nick looked up from the one he was scanning through. “Kitchen raid?” he suggested as he set the book down on the pile they’d been making in Ambrose’s attic room. 

“Uncle Edward is out of the house and the aunties are currently busy with my cousin so we should be able to scramble some things together without them wondering what we’re up to.” Now was probably the best time for them to get some food. “I say we take the passage through the walls. We’ll come out at the door in the living room, but since it's next to the kitchen it's better than us having to walk through the entire room.”

A slightly less chance of them noticing them. He’d teleport but that would only alert Zelda to something happening. She was steadfastly of the opinion that it wasn’t needed inside of the mortuary unless there was an emergency. Nick nodded and followed the older warlock, watching as Ambrose pulled at the wall sconce, causing part of the attic wall to swing open. They headed through the passageway that connected the various floors of the mortuary--put into place in case witch hunters ever descended upon the house, giving them another method of escape. 

Ambrose slowly opened the door at the bottom of the stairwell, wanting to ensure it didn’t creak as he slipped out of it and started for the kitchen. Nick should have been right behind him and he turned, intent to tell the younger boy to grab the sandwiches from the fridge, when he spotted Nick standing almost frozen in place right outside of the door. Ambrose followed his friend’s gaze, unsurprised to find that he was looking over at his cousin. Considering the plunging back of the dress that she was standing in, he couldn’t exactly blame the boy. 

Ambrose lightly zapped Nick and watched as the other warlock blinked before shaking his head and quickly hurrying forward. “Get the sandwiches from the fridge,” Ambrose directed as he headed toward the cupboard to retrieve some snacks. 

“Did you guys find anything?” Sabrina asked as she headed into the room. She only had a few minutes at the most while the aunts argued over what shoes she was going to wear before they noticed her missing.

Ambrose let out a low whistle as he spotted his cousin. The front of the dress was doing wonders for her figure. 

Nick nearly dropped the sandwiches he’d pulled out of the fridge when he took her in, working to cover it up as he grinned at her. “Aren’t you a sinful delight?” 

Sabrina rolled her eyes at the two of them, working to ignore the fluttering in her chest at Nick’s words and the intensity of his gaze before he winked flirtatiously at her. “So you guys haven’t found anything, huh?” she asked before plucking one of the grapes from the bowl on the kitchen table. 

“Between what we’ve managed to get from both here and Nick’s place and the school, we’ve barely made a dent, cousin,” Ambrose replied, glancing between the two of them as Sabrina popped the grape into her mouth. 

Nick’s gaze was transfixed on her lips for a moment and Ambrose arched a brow as Sabrina reached forward to get another grape, certain his cousin knew exactly how the fabric of the dress was pulling around her body, accentuating her curves in all of the right ways. 

“Sabrina!” Zelda hollered, causing Sabrina to sigh. 

“I’m coming, auntie!” she called out before turning to look back at the two. “I’ll come help as soon as I’m done being a pin cushion.” 

Ambrose chuckled as she headed out of the kitchen, holding the length of her skirt in her hands so she didn’t trip over it, before he glanced over at Nick. He shook his head at desire mixed with adoration he saw in the younger boy’s eyes as he followed Sabrina’s departure from the room. _Hopefully_ the two idiots would finally do something about their very obvious attraction to one another once his cousin had her Dark Baptism. 

“Come on, Scratch.” Ambrose nodded back toward the doorway. “Let’s go hit those books again.”

* * *

She was in the woods again, but her arms were her own, dressed in the white nightgown she’d gone to sleep in. Leaves littered the ground, the moon high in the sky as she heard the sound of howling off in the distance. Sabrina turned towards it, but found she couldn’t step away from the spot she was in, her feet rooted to the ground. The sound of the dogs barking was closer and Sabrina could hear the crunching of the leaves under their paws, and something else moving through the forest around her.

She kept turning around, trying to figure out where she was in the forest, gasping as she spotted her mother pushing through the trees. 

Diana Spellman clutched something tightly to her chest, eyes wide as she glanced over her shoulder before trying to push on through the underbrush. Her dress was bloodied at the bottom and Sabrina gasped as she heard the wail of a baby, realizing that it was a baby that her mother was holding. 

It didn’t make sense though. Her mother had died in childbirth, she’d nearly died as well from what her aunties had told her of the birth.

Her mother stumbled, falling onto the muddy ground and cradled the infant to her chest, trying to protect it from the impact. “You can’t make me,” Diana sobbed, holding tightly to the child as the robed figures appeared around them.

Sabrina tried to see their faces, but they were hidden in the shadows. “She’s _mine_. You can’t have her.” 

The dogs that appeared around the group were nothing like the ones Sabrina had seen in town, taller than she was, their mouths opened wide and teeth gleaming in the moonlight. And yet, somehow, they seemed familiar, but she couldn't place where she might have seen them before.

The chanting started then and Sabrina tried to make sense of it, but the words were too disjointed, her focus shifting quickly back to her mother as the baby she was holding was pulled by an invisible force from her arms, rising into the air.

“Give me back my baby,” Diana wailed, trying to reach for her as the baby wailed. “Sabrina! Give me back my daughter.”

Tears streamed down Sabrina’s face as she woke up, calling out for her mother. On some level she could hear Salem wailing beside her, could feel his head rubbing against her side, but she was too focused on the images replaying in her mind to react to him. It took her father’s hands cupping her cheeks to get her to focus on the reality around her. 

“What is it?” Edward asked as she sobbed, hugging her tightly to him. 

The other Spellmans were in the doorway of her bedroom, wanting answers, worried over what they were seeing unfold, but he waved them off. He’d let them know what had happened later, needing to focus on his daughter. “Breathe, Sabrina,” Edward murmured, holding her like he had when she was a child and had woken from a nightmare. “Focus on my voice and try to breathe.”

She hiccuped, eyes clenched shut as she wrapped her hands tightly in his shirt, trying to do as he directed. “I’ve got you,” he continued, working to make sure his own breathing was steady so she could try to mimic it. 

It took a bit but eventually her sobs stopped, breath coming out in shaky bursts as he stroked her hair. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

Sabrina didn’t even know where to start, the idea of talking about it only speeding up her heart again. “Shhhh,” Edward leaned back against the bed, murmuring more soothing words to her. “Whatever it was cannot hurt you, my little witch. Not here in the waking world.”

She desperately wanted to believe that, but the dream still cut deep, maybe even more so now that she was awake. “Mommy died in childbirth, right?”

His hand stilled in her hair. “Yes, Sabrina. Your aunts and I did our best to save her but there was nothing to be done.” He felt his daughter tuck her hands under her chin and frowned, shifting so that he was sitting up better. “What did you dream about?”

“She was running through the woods with me, trying to get away from… something.” Someone. It felt like Diana had been trying to escape someone. 

He sighed at that, tipping her chin up to look at him. “That is something that never happened. She barely managed to hold on long enough to hold you, sweetheart, let alone run anywhere with you in her arms.”

Sabrina searched his face, trying to find any deception there, but all she saw was the same sort of sadness he always seemed to have when he talked of her mother. “Why am I dreaming this?” She hated it, wanted it to stop.

“A witch’s mind is a turbulent place before their Dark Baptism,” her father told her as she rested her head back against his chest. “Nightmares and other intense dreams are rather commonplace as the body prepares to deal with the awakening that’s to come.”

Did that mean it would happen again? Sabrina didn’t think she could handle that sort of dream repeating nightly until her Dark Baptism.

“We can get your Aunt Hilda to make a few dreamless sleep teas if you’d like?” Edward suggested. “It’s only a few more nights away but the dreams usually become more intense the closer you get to the date. You can bear them if you want to.”

She didn’t need to consider it. “I want the tea.”

* * *

Nick glanced over at the hallway that led back to Edward’s office as he headed back to the living room. Sabrina was waiting for him in it, flipping absently through her history book and looked up as he arrived. The hopeful look in her eyes was quickly dashed as he shook his head and joined her on the floor. 

“We’re not going to get anywhere near the study the usual way,” he informed her as he let his notebook drop open to a random page. “Dione and Rhea are both laying outside of it and looking in this direction.”

“It’s like they knew we were going to try and eavesdrop,” Sabrina grumbled, closing the book as she pressed her elbows to the coffee table.

“Well…” Nick started, canting his head toward her.

“Yeah, yeah,” Sabrina sighed, letting her head fall back as she tried to think of another way they could hear what their fathers were discussing.

“Doesn’t the passage go by there?” Nick suggested, nodding toward the section of wall that he knew led to the other area.

Sabrina nodded at that, pushing herself up. “I think one of the paintings looks into it,” she told him, offering him a hand to help pull him up.

“We could try that?” He let her help him rise, stroking his thumb along the back of her hand before they let go of one another. Nick spotted the way she shivered at that, faint blush along her cheeks, and forced himself not to smile, making a mental note instead. 

Zelda stepped out from the door to the basement, giving the two of them a pointed look. “Do not think of going anywhere near that office.” She ignored her niece’s scowl and waved them toward the dining room. “Go set the table for seven.”

“Who’s joining us?” Sabrina asked, watching her aunt nod toward Nick before she headed off into the kitchen. 

“What we might need to do is set up some sort of spell on something in the office when they’re not there,” Nick murmured to her as they headed toward the dining room. “Something that can either let us listen in or record what’s happening so we can review it later.”

“I think my dad would notice any sort of magic like that.” It was a good idea though and if it hadn’t been her father they were wanting to do it to Sabrina was certain it would work. “He usually notices when magic that isn’t his has been done around him.”

“We’ll come up with something,” Nick assured her as they set out the various dishes on the large table before heading into the kitchen to help bring the food out as well. 

Before long the two of them were joined by Ambrose, her aunts following in moments later. Two seats remained empty, but Zelda nodded for everyone to start eating as she picked up the plate of ham to serve. 

“How’s school?” Zelda asked as she passed the plate on.

“Fine,” Nick and Sabrina simultaneously replied, wincing at the pointed look they received.

“Is there a certain class you’re wondering about?” Sabrina carefully asked, trying to figure out if they were walking into a trap or not with this conversation.

From the way Ambrose was shaking his head as he poured himself some wine, Sabrina had a feeling they definitely were. “How is your independent study going?” Zelda continued as she doled out some vegetables onto her plate. 

Sabrina knew it wasn’t good when her aunt wasn’t actively looking at her. “We’re working on it together,” Nick replied as he took the plate of ham from Hilda.

“Have you figured out what your focus will be?” Zelda asked, holding out her glass for Ambrose to fill as well.

“We’re still discussing that,” Sabrina replied, reaching over for the bread basket.

“You’re not using that time to look at things you shouldn’t?” Zelda looked over at the two of them and they both shrugged.

“Would we do that, auntie?” Sabrina smiled sweetly at her, ignoring Ambrose’s snort as Nick bit his cheek, trying not to chuckle.

“We’re making good use of our academic time, Sister Spellman,” Nick replied and Sabrina nodded along with that, amused by her aunt’s disbelieving look as she took a sip of her wine. 

“And how are your mortal classes going, sweetheart?” Hilda asked, trying to reel the conversation back to something less volatile. 

“History is still my favorite,” Sabrina told her, turning her attention toward her other aunt. 

“Because Ms. Wardwell is your favorite teacher,” Nick elbowed her gently in the side.

“It’s not my fault she actually makes history interesting,” Sabrina stuck her tongue out at him, wrinkling her nose when he reached over to bop it.

The sound of their fathers heading down the hallway had everyone’s attention shifting that way. Zelda waved toward the empty plates before looking pointedly at Nathaniel. “You’ll be joining us for dinner.”

He looked ready to protest that, but Hilda was motioning toward the food. “We have more than enough made. Sit down,” she waved toward one of the empty chairs. “It's best when it's hot.”

“No point in wasting the food, Nathaniel,” Edward commented as he took his seat at the head of the table.

“I suppose not,” Nathaniel agreed, taking the spot opposite Zelda that had been left for him. “What did we interrupt?”

“A discussion on how school is going,” Hilda replied, hoping that would be enough detail.

“And what the children are getting up to during their independent study,” Zelda added, looking pointedly over at the two of them.

“They’ve always been a curious bunch,” Ambrose offered up before taking another sip of his wine. 

“It’s not our fault that symbology is important in conjuration,” Sabrina replied as she scooped up some mashed potatoes.

“Some would even say it's integral to it,” Nick added, as he motioned for the bread basket. 

“Do I need to expressly forbid your looking into things?” Edward demanded, looking between the two of them.

“Didn’t you try that once when she was seven?” Ambrose asked, swirling the wine in his glass around before he nodded toward the younger two. “I don’t believe it worked out very well, did it, cousin?”

“Nope,” Sabrina replied, smiling brightly before she took a sip of her wine.

“Especially not with this one backing her up,” Hilda murmured, nodding toward Nick who beamed at that. 

He gave Sabrina a little fist bump and Edward let out a sigh. Nick spotted the smirk on his father’s face before he quickly thinned his lips, echoing Edward’s demeanor in regards to the matter. “What are you looking forward to the most once you’ve been baptised, Sabrina?” he asked, moving the conversation toward a less volatile topic. He hoped. 

“There’s books I’ve been dying to read that I can finally get my hands on,” Sabrina sighed happily as she thought of them.

Nathaniel chuckled, the sound causing Nick to arch a brow and he noted that the others looked a bit startled by it as well. It had been some time since he’d heard his father do anything close to a laugh. “I remember Nicholas was looking forward to that too before his.”

He looked over toward his son, nodding at him, and all Nick could think to do was nod back. Sabrina poked him in the side, drawing his attention to her. “I made him give me his list of materials and already requested them all from Cassius. He has them saved for me.”

“Trying to beat my record of most books read?” Nick asked, wagging his brows at her.

“My goal is to always beat your records,” she replied as she leaned toward him, tapping his chest. 

“Guess we’ll see if you manage it or not,” Nick told her, catching hold of her finger. 

A look passed between the adults, something neither of the youngest two noticed, before the conversation continued, flowing toward more amicable topics to pass the evening with.

* * *

Sabrina took a deep breath as she looked up at the blood red moon in the sky. She was at the edge of the woods, and should have been at it on her own, but Rhea and Salem both flanked her. After what had happened at the gathering, her father wasn’t about to let any witchling walk alone through the woods, especially not his daughter. None of them could accompany her through the woods to the clearing with the altar, but the familiars were not held to the same standard, and Edward knew that neither would let any harm come to her.

She turned her attention back toward the woods, taking a deep breath before stepping forward into them. The alterations to the dress had definitely been needed, allowing it to not slide through the mud like it would have done before accommodating her petite frame. Thankfully she’d picked one with long sleeves, the air having chilled significantly since the sun had set, though that didn’t help much with her bare back. 

Salem meowed at her and Sabrina glanced over at him, nodding her head before Rhea mewed as well, letting her know they had come as far as they could with her. She’d need to head through the vined archway herself; the coven would be waiting on the other side. Bending down, she slowly scratched Salem’s head before Rhea butted her in the back, letting her know she needed to go.

Sabrina took another deep breath and stepped forward, walking through the pathway that every member of the Coven of Night had walked down since the coven had settled in Greendale. She’d run through it many times as a child, headed down it a few times in recent years as well, but this time was different. There was a power to the area that she had only ever glimpsed in the past. Before it had been a distant echo, something she sensed on her periphery but now the air around her shimmered as she stepped into the clearing. 

Every member of the Coven of Night and Arcane was in attendance and while Sabrina knew all of them by sight, having met them at least once at the various holiday gatherings throughout the years, it was still a bit overwhelming to see all of them in one area. And yet part of her liked having everyone looking at her, enjoying the power that seemed to come from being the center of attention for the night.

She searched out for her family, spotting them easily enough toward the altar. The pride she spotted in Zelda’s face and tears in Hilda’s eyes were to be expected and it took all of Sabrina’s self-restraint to ignore the face Ambrose pulled, knowing her aunt might drop dead of embarrassment if she responded to her cousin like she usually would.

The other witchlings were in attendance, all standing around with their families, and she couldn’t help but smile as she spotted Nick standing next to his father. He mouthed something to her that she was pretty sure was a variation of ‘You got this’ before she turned to look at her father standing in front of the altar. There was so much love in his gaze, mixed with pride and something she couldn’t quite identify as she stepped forward, making sure to bow as she stopped in front of him. 

“We gather here tonight, at nearly the Witching Hour, to see another of our coven take that initial step forward down the Path of Night,” Edward started, looking at the others. “For another to shed the misgivings and beliefs that are ripe in this world, embracing instead a path of self-discovery and freedom over fear and subjugation. Like Lucifer and Lilith before us, we walk in the Night, abandoning the lies and false hope of the Light.”

He turned his attention back to Sabrina, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Do you, Sabrina Edwina Diana Spellman, Daughter of Night, wish to live a life free of a false dichotomy, to embrace your rewards here on Earth instead of in the False God’s eventual paradise?” he asked and Sabrina nodded, hopeful she wouldn’t forget the words she’d need to say after he was through.

“I do.”

“Do you promise to follow in the Path of Night, forsaking all of the False God’s teachings?” he continued and she nodded. 

“I do.”

“And do you promise to ensure you live a life full of passion, awakening, and endeavor to satiate all of your senses?” he asked, directing her to rise and stand in front of the altar. 

“I do.”

Edward nodded and Sabrina took a deep breath, stating the mantra of the coven in Latin, taking on that sacred vow between her coven and the Dark Lord. From her father’s smile she knew she must have said it all perfectly, not stumbling over a single word. Zelda would be proud. They’d practiced that part rigorously for the last month.

His attention turned toward Zelda after Sabrina had finished. “Do you have her offering?” 

His sister stepped forward and he sucked in a breath when he spotted the rabbit toy in his sister’s hands, watching as she handed it over to his daughter. Edward remembered when Diana had picked that out, shortly after they’d gotten confirmation from Dr. Walker that she was pregnant. His wife had been beyond ecstatic, needing to buy something for the baby they would be blessed with in a little over twelve months. 

“Are you certain?” Edward asked, his voice for Sabrina alone as the blue flame lit on the altar. 

“I’m not a little girl anymore,” Sabrina reminded, glancing over at the flame. “I haven’t slept with this in almost a decade.” 

He wanted to refute that--she would _always_ be his little girl--but nodded, not wanting to tempt interference if he didn’t allow her to place it into the flame. “And I have the quilt,” Sabrina added, locking her gaze with his. “That’s more important than the rabbit.”

Edward motioned for her to place it forward and they watched as the blue flame brightened, consuming the rabbit within moments, letting all know the Dark Lord had accepted the offering. 

He waved his hand, indicating for her to step forward and Sabrina did as directed. He wiped the blood across her forehead before reaching for her hand. She steeled herself for what would come next, letting him slice into her palmt. Her attention turned toward the Book of the Beast in front of her, taking in the names of every witchling that had come before her on the open page, spotting the ones she knew from the two covens and others that she’d never heard of--belonging to covens in lands far away. 

Edward took hold of her bleeding hand and raised it over the book, letting droplets fall onto the place where she was to sign her name. Sabrina took a deep breath, dipping the pen into them before she slowly signed her name across the line he indicated. 

The rush of power wasn’t like anything that any of the others had explained to her. It didn’t come from without, pouring into her body like she’d been told by her aunts, her cousin and Nick. It was like something inside was ripped open, some seal that had been set in place unlocked and released power through her body. Images flicked quickly through her mind, too fast for her to make any sense of, but Sabrina thought she saw her mother’s face. 

That was quickly pushed to the side as she gripped at the stone altar, eyes shutting tightly at the pleasure that reverberated through her, the intensity of the power nearly overwhelming. Sabrina thought that she might burst with how much seemed to be flowing through her, igniting every nerve ending within her on fire. Her skin glowed under the moonlight and she heard the other’s gasps, unsure why they had done so as she looked up at the moon, letting her head fall back as the power rushed out of her, pushing everyone back a few steps.

Some fell, others simply skidded backwards, looking toward the High Priest for how they were supposed to react. “Welcome to Path of Night,” Edward stated as he rounded the altar and took hold of Sabrina’s hand, raising it into the air as he had with every other witchling in the area. 

The next few minutes were a bit of a daze, witches and warlocks stopping by to talk with her father and her, welcoming her into the fold. Music played around them, the sound of conversations stirring as well, but the world seemed _different_ to her. There was a shine to it that Sabrina didn’t think she’d ever seen before, a connection to the magic that was all around them that she’d never felt before either. 

“Overwhelming, right?” Nick asked from over her shoulder and Sabrina sucked in a breath at that. She could smell that scent she’d come to associate with him much more acutely now and bit her lip at how easily doing so had desire shooting all throughout her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this happen before though.”

“Huh?” she asked, turning around to face him. He reached over, touching at her hair and Sabrina arched a brow, not sure what he meant. 

He nodded for her to step away from the others and she followed after him toward the side of the clearing. When he pulled out his phone she understood why he’d wanted the privacy. Both of their fathers would have reamed him out for having it there. He flipped the camera on, making sure they were standing by one of the torches so she could see herself in it. 

Her hair was no longer the same color as her mother’s had been. 

“I’m not sure what I’d call it,” Nick commented as he let her have the phone, knowing she’d want to get a better look. He reached over again, running a finger through one of her curls. 

“Ghostly,” Sabrina breathed out, not quite sure how to take the sudden change.

“It's more like the first snowfall,” Nick replied, and she looked over at him. “Fresh and delicate and yet somehow also very deadly.” He winked at her. “And yes, you should take that as a compliment.”

She thrust the phone back at him as she pursed her lips, not sure she could handle his flirting at that moment. Someone called her name and Sabrina glanced backward, spotting Zelda motioning for her to come over and talk to someone else. 

“Duty calls,” Sabrina murmured, blowing Nick a kiss before moving to head off. It took every ounce of control she had to not react when his fingers that had been in her hair fluttered down her neck and then along her spine as she stepped away.

Lilith help her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Sabrina is now a full-fledged member of the coven.
> 
> Next chapter she'll be celebrating her birthday with her friends while trying to deny her feelings for a certain warlock, some more research is done, we'll see the witchlings at school and our favorite duo goes to Dorian's.


	7. do your own thing

Greendale seemed different as she walked along Main Street toward the bowling alley to meet up with her friends. She’d always sensed the magic in her town, knew that there was a lot of it rooted deep within the soil of the forest and in a lot of the buildings whose foundations had been built during those first few years the coven had settled on the land. But she’d never truly realized just how steeped in magic her town was. Now she could feel the threads of it everywhere, sensed the magic of the covens in every piece of it. 

The intensity of everything around had dulled to a distant humming, something that she could push aside to the background. There still seemed to be the threads of magic tying her to the world around her even more so than she had felt before her Dark Baptism, but they weren’t overwhelming her senses to the degree they had the night before. 

She pushed her hands into her pockets as the wind picked up. 

Almost like clockwork, November 1st had brought along the beginnings of the winter chill that liked to descend upon Greendale after her birthday. The nights were longer, the trees losing their leaves at a faster pace than before, ushering them all toward what would be the longest night of the year and onward into the New Year. The Halloween decorations were already starting to come down, tinsel and holly beginning to make their appearances along the town’s main thoroughfare. 

It was easy enough to spot her friends once she headed inside the bowling alley, shaking her head at how they’d decorated their chosen lane with ridiculous Halloween decorations and a ‘Happy Birthday, Sabrina!’ sign hung on the wall. Roz spotted her first, hugging her tightly as she stepped over to the group, Theo joining in seconds later.

Harvey nodded from his place by the scoreboard, offering her a smile as Sabrina started taking off her coat and gloves, setting them down on one of the lane chairs before depositing her hat there as well.

“Brina, your hair!” Harvey’s eyes widened at the change in it, Theo and Roz’s mouths dropping open slightly, definitely not having expected it.

“Amazing, isn't it?” Nick asked as he stepped up behind her, kissing her cheek in greeting. His arms wrapped around her in a hug and she froze at the sudden burst of need that seemed to shoot right through her again at his touch. She wasn't supposed to want to lean back into him, fingers itching to run through his hair.

“It’s...different,” Harvey murmured, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck as Sabrina grabbed hold of Roz’s hand.

“I like it,” Theo commented with a nod. “It really suits you.”

“Thanks,” Sabrina grinned at him as she tugged on Roz’s hand, stepping away from Nick. “Roz and I will go get the food. You guys collect the balls.”

She pulled at her best friend before anyone could protest her doing any work, walking with her toward the small food court. “I’m pretty sure Mr. Stephens was going to bring the food to us,” Roz told her but Sabrina shook her head, steadfastly moving away from the others. 

Roz arched a brow at her friend as they got in the short line. “What’s going on?” Because she didn’t think she’d ever seen Sabrina look as flustered as she was in that moment. 

“We need to be on the same team, okay?” Sabrina asked, glancing back over at what the boys were doing before quickly looking back at Roz when she spotted Nick looking their way. “And all of them on the other.”

“Why?” Roz asked as she took her phone out of her pocket. “And do you want pizza or hot dogs?”

“How is that even a question? Pizza.” No respectable person ate the hot dogs there. They were all pretty sure they were the same ones from the first day the place had ever opened spinning on the rack. 

“Pizza it is,” Roz agreed, nodding for Sabrina to move forward with the line. “But why do the teams need to be like that?”

“I’d like to be able to sit as far away from Nick as possible,” Sabrina grumbled, crossing her arms as Roz watched her carefully. She knew her cheeks were reddening, could feel the heat of the blush in them as Roz typed something on her phone. 

“Your feelings are supposed to heighten after your...baptism, right?” Roz asked, shrugging her shoulder as she put her phone in her back pocket. She watched Sabrina nod in confirmation before looking at her friend’s hair again. “I didn’t know the hair change could happen.”

“Neither did I. I don’t think anyone else did either,” Sabrina murmured, reaching up to touch her curls. “Though dad says it's not the first time it's ever happened in history and not to worry about it.”

“Do you feel really different?” Roz asked as they neared the counter.

“It’s...like I can see and sense magic more? And I feel it more in me,” Sabrina told her friend after a moment, not sure she was explaining it adequately. “And then everything else was just so intense last night but it seems to have evened out now.” Mostly.

“Except for the fact that when Nick kissed your cheek you froze and your breath did that little catching thing,” Roz pointed out, enjoying how Sabrina’s eyes widened at that. “Plus you kind of leaned into his hands before you jumped away like he zapped you.”

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Sabrina groaned as Roz grinned at her. 

“It's my duty as your best friend to point out when you’re being ridiculous,” Roz reminded as they got to the counter, conversation paused while they put in the order. 

"And look, Brina, if you're this flustered after a few hours of these heightened senses, imagine how Nick has been these last two years," Roz added as they stepped off to the side while the food was prepared. She held up a hand. "And don't try that whole 'he didn't like me in that way' thing because we both know that's a lie."

Sabrina should have known her friend wouldn’t leave it at that and narrowed her eyes when she spotted the scoreboard for their lane, noticing that Theo had put Nick and her on a team together, with Roz, himself, and Harvey on the other. She also spotted the conspiratorial look that passed between Roz and him before they grinned at her. 

‘I hate you both,’ Sabrina mouthed to them as Nick handed her a ball, fingers brushing along hers. She was pretty sure he’d done that deliberately too.

“Ready to kick their asses?” he asked, wagging his brows at her. Coupled with that smirk of his as he moved to brush by her to get his own ball, Sabrina knew it was going to be a long afternoon.

“Happily,” Sabrina murmured, narrowing her eyes at Theo and Roz before spotting Harvey who was looking between all of them, the confusion evident on his face. She offered him another smile, but it didn’t seem to work like it would have before their breakup. At least he smiled back before reaching for a slice of pizza.

* * *

“Still nothing?” Sabrina asked as she joined Ambrose on his bed in the attic. 

Books were spread out in front of him, stacked to the side as he flipped through the one in his hand. “It doesn’t make sense. Your father isn’t one to simply doodle designs in his journals. Everything that goes in them serves some purpose.” 

He dropped the book onto the bed, rubbing at his temples. The words were all beginning to jumble together into one mess of incomprehensible letters. 

Sabrina leaned back against the wall. “I know. Even his sketches of mom have hidden meanings in them.” Like the one where her eyes had been erased meaning that the key to solving his Acheron configuration was doing it with closed eyes. 

“And yet that damnable symbol isn’t coming up anywhere else,” Ambrose grumbled, moving to sit beside her. He took the cookie she offered up. “I’ve looked through every book we have access to.”

“Nick and I are coming up empty at school as well.” They’d gone through everything Cassius had in the library more than once and there hadn’t been anything that looked like or hinted to the symbol.

“How are your senses?” he asked,needing a break from the symbol talk.

“Fine.” She sighed at her cousin’ arched brow, knowing that wouldn’t be enough of an answer for him. “I get what you meant about everything being heightened now.”

“Exhilarating, isn’t it?” Ambrose prodded, poking her in the side.

“The world is so vibrant.” It was a lot to take in sometimes even as it was becoming her new normal. “I feel connected to _everything_.” 

“Because you are,” Ambrose reminded with a nod before snagging another cookie from the bowl she held. “In a way that your mortal friends won’t ever truly be able to feel.” He paused, considering that. “Though...Roz and Theo might understand it a little better than others. Since Roz has the Cunning and Theo does see ghosts.”

It was nice that she had them to talk about everything with as well, thankful that they understood everything suddenly shifting in their own ways. Theo’s world had adjusted when he’d started seeing and communicating with his great aunt and Roz’s had as well when she’d seen her first vision. They knew it took time to wrap their heads around the newness.

“They’re the best,” Sabrina murmured, smiling softly as she thought of the two. “Even if they’re also slippery jerks right now.”

Ambrose snorted, watching as she viciously bit into her cookie. “What little scheme are those two involved in now?”

“They know what they did.” Sabrina glowered, though he noticed that she was purposefully not looking at him.

“And you’re not going to tell me?” he pried, nudging her with his elbow. His lips curved into an amused smile as she shrugged. “Hmmm. Must be in regards to a certain warlock friend then.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sabrina murmured, moving to get off the bed but Ambrose pulled her back down onto it, sending the two of them sprawling out across it together. 

“What is that mortal song that the tiny ones like to sing?” Ambrose asked as he hugged her tightly. “Something about sitting in a tree?”

Sabrina reached for one of his pillows, contemplating trying to smother him as he started singing the ridiculous rhyme. 

“Is there a reason you’re trying to kill your cousin?” Nick asked as he teleported into the room, arching a brow. He tried to make out what Ambrose was singing as Sabrina pressed the pillow to her cousin’s face. 

“I’ve decided to take after Aunt Zelda,” Sabrina replied as she pulled back from her cousin, whacking Ambrose with the pillow when he opened his mouth to resume singing. He sent the pillow flying through the air before grabbing at her and pulling her back into a hug. 

“What brings you by though, Nicholas?” Ambrose asked, deliberately messing up Sabrina’s hair. 

She elbowed him in the stomach, getting him to release her and scooted away, working to fix her headband. Nick didn’t bother trying to hide his amusement, grinning as he shook his head at their antics. He’d always been fascinated by their relationship, pleased to be allowed to see these more intimate family moments and brought into them at times even.

He held up a book, getting both of their attention as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “I found something.” 

“Isn’t that one of your moms?” Sabrina asked as she scooted over, recognizing the type of book as the kind Victoria Scratch had used to write her notes. She’d seen the woman jot down countless bits of information throughout the various summers when Nick and her would visit Greendale. 

Nick nodded, not quite able to get words out for a moment. He traced the cover of the book, knowing his mother had bound the papers inside of it together herself. Sabrina placed her hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze and he looked over at her, finding that concern he knew would be there. He offered up a reassuring smile before opening the book to the page he wanted them to see. 

The symbol they had been looking for was drawn on the page. “The reason we haven’t found it anywhere is because this symbol hasn’t been used in centuries.” 

Ambrose moved to peer over his shoulder, reading the journal entry that went along with it. “In this form it’s a symbol that’s meant to venerate Lilith,” Nick explained, letting Ambrose take the book from him to read through it more. “My mom was researching the different magical paths, remember? Looking to see what we might be able to use from them that the Anti Papacy no longer holds onto.”

“Yes, the Anti Papacy was very good at taking only those ways that helped propel them to a higher form of power among the covens,” Ambrose commented. Everyone knew he had no love for that group in power. “Uncle Edward’s ‘experiment’--” he made sure to do the quotation marks with his fingers-- “here is seen as a heresy that they would rather stamped out. But sucks for them since he got the explicit approval of the Dark Lord to see what could come of it.”

“But why would a symbol for Lilith have our dads worried?” Sabrina asked, knitting her brows together. “We’ve been taught to see her as the Dark Lord’s right hand. His most trusted confidant and to revere her as the First Witch. She’s why witches in our covens aren’t seen as lesser like happens outside of Greendale.”

“I don’t know,” Nick murmured, shaking his head. It didn’t make sense to him either why they would have become spooked over it. “Symbols change through time though. So maybe someone appropriated this one to mean something else and we just haven’t come across what that new meaning is yet?” 

“There’s enough radical sects that have been created over the years that it could have been taken on by one of them,” Ambrose pointed out. “It wouldn’t be the first time a coven has done so in a belief that they’ll curry favor with the Dark Lord and gain more power.”

“I’ll keep looking through my mom’s journals and see if I can find anything else in them,” Nick replied with a sigh. He hadn’t touched them since her death. Nearly had left them alone again but couldn’t seem to stop thinking of them when every other book they looked at left them with no answers. 

“If you need any help with that,” Sabrina offered, reaching over to take hold of his hand. 

He turned back toward her, smiling at the touch, pleased she didn’t seem to jump at it like she had been since her birthday. “I’ll let you know,” he assured her, giving her hand a squeeze. He reached over, adjusting her headband a little more and watched as she bit her lower lip at that.

Nick trailed his fingers down her neck as he pulled back. “I have to go. We’re doing a coven dinner and I probably shouldn't be late for that.” He glanced over at Ambrose, nodding toward the journal. “Just have Sabrina bring it to school when you’re done with it.”

Ambrose nodded before Nick teleported away, quickly turning his attention back to his cousin. “Still don’t know what I’m talking about?” he asked, nudging Sabrina with his foot. 

She flopped back onto the bed, grabbing at another pillow and pressed it over her face. Ambrose chuckled as he heard her muffled ‘shut up’ before turning his attention back to the journal.

* * *

Sabrina didn’t know why she’d ever thought that study hall would actually be used for _studying_. It hadn’t been when she’d had it on the mortal side of the school and it seemed that the witches and warlocks also regarded it as a time to chat and fool around. She wondered exactly how the teachers who were supposed to supervise this particular class were even picked. Brother Machen wasn’t taking a nap like Mr. Foster used to do in her last version of the class, but he wasn’t paying any attention to them either. 

She usually didn’t mind the group conversations that happened, getting to know everyone outside of the stuffy coven parties that her father had thrown over the years was actually kind of nice. Different from the witchling gatherings that had been canceled for the time being and better than the side conversations that happened during classes. 

But everyone kept bringing up Dorian’s, trying to get her to agree to come with them over the weekend. If Gerald or Wade or Cyrus looked her over again in a way that reminded her too much of how Billy Marlin and his little friend group liked to eye the cheerleaders at practice she was going to scream. It didn’t help that Paige, Lavina and some of the other girls kept trying to point out the different warlocks' talents to her, egging the situation on. 

Seeing the magic battles happening across the room as they attempted to one up one another and gain her attention as she tried to focus on the demonology book in front of her was vaguely amusing. But Sabrina was having a hard time seeing how the display was supposed to get her interested in going anywhere with any of them. Though it did seem to be working on the others. 

She couldn’t help but look up when Nick entered the room though, watching as he sauntered over to the group of warlocks, clapping them on the back as he usually did with his teammates. Sabrina knitted her brow together, focusing back on the text when she spotted Gerald telling him something before nodding over toward her and getting Nick to look her way as well. She had no intention of seeing what his expression looked like. 

The headache began building behind her temples as she heard Celeste call out Nick’s name and Sabrina whispered a privacy incantation, not wanting to hear whatever was being said. She felt irritable, frustration brewing inside of her and Sabrina could feel the book in her hands start to shake. She rose before she started to make the whole room follow suit, heading over to Brother Machen and grabbing one of the passes he left out on the table before hurrying out of the room.

She made it a few steps down the hallway before Nick grabbed hold of her hand, tugging her back toward him. He was saying something but it took her a moment to realize she couldn’t hear him because of the spell she’d put up. She undid the spell as she pulled her hand away from him, instantly regretting that move by the flash of hurt she spotted in his eyes. 

Sabrina closed hers, rubbing at her temples. “Sorry, I just…” She had no idea how to explain how she was feeling at that moment. 

He put his hands over top hers, murmuring some spell that helped ease the tension behind her headache. “Better?” Nick asked, and she spotted the genuine concern in his gaze before he did his usual little smirk. “Come on.”

She followed him down the hallway and into the library, sitting down at one of the empty tables with him. “They’re not going to let up, are they?” Sabrina murmured as she rested her elbows on the table, head falling into her hands. 

“About?” Nick asked and she glared at him, certain he knew what she meant. “They’re just used to everyone wanting to head to Dorian’s right away and partake in all it has to offer.”

“You don’t push me to do it.” Neither did Ambrose or her family.

Nick snorted at that. “I know better than to push you when you’ve decided to dig your heels in.” It only ever ended in a headache for all involved. 

Sabrina didn’t reply to that and he sighed, reaching over to touch her shoulder. “Want me to talk to them?

“No.” She shook her head. That wouldn’t help at all. She’d just need to keep saying no until they understood she’d go when she was good and ready.

“Want to go with me to Dorian’s after school today?” Nick suggested and she looked over at him, eyes wide.

“What-- _no_.” She was just going to ignore the fluttering in her stomach at the suggestion of it. 

“It’s the middle of the week, Sabrina. It’ll be about five o’clock once our practice is over,” Nick pointed out, as he leaned against the table. “The activities that you’re wondering about won’t start up until around eight. Remember, our dads use Dorian’s as a place to hold meetings as well.” 

Oh. Right. “I mean...I have been curious about that place since...forever.” She glanced over at him. “Remember when we used to beg our dads to take us along with them to it?”

He laughed as she scrunched up her nose at the memory. She used to get that same look when their fathers had denied the request. “So we can go, get you a drink and you can take a look around,” Nick continued, and she pursed her lips at that, giving it some serious consideration. He could still see the uncertainty in her eyes. “It’s understandable if you’re not up for that yet though.”

She narrowed her eyes at that, noting the challenge in his voice and that mischievous gleam in his gaze as he looked at her. _Damn him_. “I’ll be okay in what I have on?” Because she wasn’t showing up in her cheerleading outfit. 

It took all of Nick’s self-restraint to not look her over. “What you have on is perfect,” he assured her before nodding toward the demonology book in her hands. “So what are you looking for?”

“Nothing, I was just using it as an excuse not to watch all of the showboating,” Sabrina told him as she slid the book forward. 

“Can’t blame them for trying to get your attention,” he told her, nudging her with his elbow and she rolled her eyes at that. “Even if they’re going about it in all the wrong ways.”

“Is that so?” Sabrina arched a brow, wondering what he thought the right ways were. 

Nick was already rising though. “I’ll meet you outside the locker rooms after school?” he asked, waiting for her to nod before running his finger down the nape of her neck as he headed off.

Sabrina pressed her forehead against the table, muttering to herself before pulling the demonology book back to her. She wasn’t going to learn a single thing from it but at least she looked less foolish if she was pretending to read the book and not just sitting there daydreaming about Nick touching her again.

* * *

Nick pressed his hand against the small of Sabrina’s back as he led her into Dorian’s, handing off their coats to one of the staff. He smiled as he watched her carefully take in everything around them, but his real focus was on the way she leaned back ever so slightly into his hand, not jumping away as she had before. Someone was playing on the piano set off to the side, only a few warlocks or witches lingering about at the couches and tables set up in the main area. 

“See, not so bad, right?” Nick murmured, leaning toward her, his lips brushing against her ear. 

“That remains to be seen,” Sabrina replied, breath hitching a little at how close he was before she slid her hand into his, taking hold of it. 

“Let’s get you a drink,” he suggested, nodding toward the bar where Dorian was attending to a lone customer. 

Nick leaned against it, tapping his fingers along the bar top. Dorian didn’t glance over, shaking his head before letting out a sigh. “Nicky, dear. Isn’t it a little early, even for you?”

“Cute, Gray,” Nick commented, glaring at the man before nodding toward Sabrina when Dorian finally looked at him. “I’m giving a tour.”

Dorian arched a brow, stepping over to the two of them. “And who might you be?”

“Sabrina.” Was she supposed to reach out to shake his hand? No. Witches didn’t do that. “My cousin has told me all about this place.” She took a quick glance around before looking back at the man.

“And Nicky and your cousin have told me all about you,” Dorian replied, and Sabrina arched a brow at that.

“Nicky,” she tried out the word, pressing her lips together to stifle a laugh as Nick glowered at the other warlock.

“Don’t even think about it,” he muttered, letting go of her hand to poke her in the side. 

Sabrina laughed then, pressing her face into his chest and the glare he’d been about to direct at her softened considerably as he slipped his arm around her, letting her lean into him. Dorian watched the two, brow raising slightly as he made eye contact with Nick. “Would the two of you like to partake in one of the--”

Nick hurriedly shook his head. “We’d like a drink and to walk around.”

Dorian nodded. “Very well.”

“What would you like?” Nick asked as Sabrina turned to look back toward the bar as well. She didn’t step away from him though, hand coming to rest on his back. 

“I have no idea,” she admitted, pursing her lips as she looked up at him. The wine she’d had a glass or two of at home didn’t quite seem the way to go there.

Nick ordered for them, something Sabrina wasn’t too sure about as Dorian placed the glasses out in front of them, watching the green liquid bubble. “That’s just for show,” Nick murmured, nodding toward the glasses as the fizzing stopped. “Come on, let’s take that tour. There’s some paintings I know you’re going to want to take a look at.”

He ignored Dorian shaking his head at them as the two stepped away, drinks in hand. She wasn’t touching Nick anymore, both hands wrapped around the drink, but he placed his hand on her back again, thumb rubbing small circles along the material of her shirt as he walked her around the place, stopping at the occasional painting to look at and analyze. Once their drinks were nearly finished they sat down on one of the couches, knees touching. Nick leaned back against it, arm outstretched toward her, his fingers threading through the ends of her hair. 

“Not so bad, right?” he asked, watching as she brought the glass back to her lips. 

“It has its merits,” she replied after finishing off the last of her drink. She placed the empty glass down on the small table in front of them before turning to him. He’d expected her to move toward the other end of the couch and sit cross legged like she had so many times before, being just that bit out of his reach. Instead she simply turned, bringing her a little closer to him. “When did you first come here?”

Nick hadn’t expected the question and took a moment to finish off his drink, setting his glass down beside hers, before turning back to her. “The night of my baptism.”

“Really?” She quirked her lips at that, but he didn’t see any judgement in her gaze, more interest, noting the way she licked her lips. 

“Mmhmm,” Nick watched her carefully, picking up everything that he could, from the way her chest rose and fell, her gaze falling to his lips as she reached forward, tracing her fingers over the B on his letterman jacket. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Sabrina didn’t answer right away, too focused on how his fingers had moved from her hair to dance down her neck and across her shoulder. “What was it like when you had your dark baptism?”

He hadn’t expected that question, stilling his movements for a moment. “A sudden rush of power that filled me to the brink. I thought I was going to burst.”

“It came from outside and entered you?” she asked, not looking at him, her focus on the B on his jacket.

“Of course.” He spotted that slight downturn of her lips that she tried to hide, felt her tense a little under his touch before she forced herself to unclench. He moved a little closer, not liking the sudden change in her body. “It didn't feel like that for you?”

She didn’t answer him right away, watched as she pressed her lips together, saw her struggle for how to answer before he slid his fingers under her chin. “Spellman?”

“It was like something inside of me unlocked, like it had been waiting to do so,” she told him as she looked up, sucking in a breath at how close he’d gotten. If she leaned forward just a bit she could have brushed her lips against his or he could have against hers. She shifted just a little forward, eyes closing but jolted backward as the tempo of the music altered around them, the gentle piano music turning to something more modern as others started to pour into the establishment. 

“Sabrina,” Nick reached for her as she rose, watching her tuck her hair behind her ears. 

The other witchlings were heading to the bar and dance floor, someone calling out their names as they were spotted. “I should go.”

“I’ll walk you home,” Nick suggested, moving around the table as she stepped away from the couch.

“We have to teleport now, remember? No walking allowed,” she reminded him and Nick shook his head.

“I’ll teleport you home,” he offered, not wanting her out of his reach just yet.

Sabrina nodded toward the others, spotting them waving at them to come over. “Stay and have some fun.” She leaned in, lips brushing gently against his cheek before pulling away. “Thanks for bringing me.”

He hadn’t expected the contact, blinked as she teleported away before he could adequately respond, leaving him flustered and confused. He heard the others calling his name and nearly headed over to join the group and try to undo the tension she had created all throughout his body. 

Instead he headed back to the bar, indicating to Dorian that he wanted another round. “Where did the delightful Miss Spellman head off to?” Dorian slid him a glass of bourbon, before picking up another glass to wipe clean. “She’s about to miss all of the fun.”

Nick could hear the others moving about to the music as more of the covens started pouring into the area, those a century or two older than him but far younger than any of their parents. He downed the drink, needing to feel the burn of the alcohol down his throat to help counter his coiled muscles. Nick pushed the glass forward, wanting another and Dorian arched a brow at that before pouring him another.

“It's quite something to see you like this,” the older warlock commented, but Nick didn’t bother looking up at him, staring down at the glass instead. “Though not surprising considering how often you regaled me of tales about her from this very spot.” He looked up that, watching as Dorian nodded toward someone behind him and Nick glanced over, easily spotting Sabrina’s cousin. “Not quite in the same way that Ambrose does--though his ones about the trouble she manages to get into are entertaining enough.”

“I’m fine,” Nick muttered before downing that drink as well.

Dorian didn’t exactly snort, it seemed too dignified a response for him, but it was the only way Nick could think to name the sound the bartender had made. “You’re aching. In more ways than one. If it helps any, I’d wager that Miss Spellman is too.”

Nick just glared at him, not deeming to see fit to verbally answer the man. “You’re being beckoned, Nicky dear, by two that I know you’ve enjoyed several times before, but I doubt you’ll find much satisfaction from either of them tonight,” Dorian informed him, nodding to someone else behind him. 

He knew Dorian was right. He’d tried several times already over the past few weeks to find solace in nearly every other patron’s arms, even gone a round or two with some of the demons Dorian specialized in. And while he’d had his fun, none of them had given him what he’d truly wanted or needed. 

Nick tugged out his wallet, ready to close his tab, but Dorian waved him off before moving to deal with other customers. It didn’t take Nick long to teleport home, knowing he needed to get some water into himself and possibly eat something as well or he’d regret it in the morning. He headed straight toward the kitchen, grabbing the box of cereal Ms. Bilgen kept hidden for him in the back of one cupboard and a glass of water before starting the trek up toward his room. 

Teleporting would have been easier but he didn’t see the point, expecting to be alone in the large house. Amalia had gone out again in the morning and he knew she wouldn’t return for another day or so unless he really needed her. He hadn’t expected to see the lights on from the archway that led into the formal living room and stepped toward it, nearly heading into the area when he heard Edward Spellman’s voice. 

Nick stopped, not entirely sure why he pressed back into the shadows, keeping out of sight as he listened, trying to pinpoint who else was in the room. It didn’t take him long to identify his father, Father Blackwood, and several other older members of the covens. 

“Are we certain the birds weren’t just a prank?” one of them asked and Nick arched a brow at that, setting the cereal box and glass down on one of the hallway tables so he didn’t accidentally drop it.

“Perhaps one of the children did it and is too frightened now to say so,” another stated and Nick peered into the room as best he could, trying to confirm his suspicions on who else was there.

“Or maybe it's related to whichever spells they were attempting in that clearing? Do we know what they were doing?” Father Blackwood asked, leaning against his cane. 

Dione spotted him, the wolf turning her gaze toward him and Nick froze, knowing his father would notice him next if he didn’t pull back. It wasn’t his father’s familiar that headed out of the room and toward him, but Edward Spellman’s and Nick sighed as he spotted the leopard. Rhea motioned for him to enter the room and Nick considered his options before following after her into the room. 

“What spells were being done, Nicholas?” Edward asked as he stepped forward. 

“That night we were working to finish the ritual we’d started a few weeks prior,” Nick replied, keeping his focus on the High Priest. “Everyone had their own desires to manifest so I can’t speak for what anyone was trying for, but nothing like the birds had happened at any of the other meetings.”

“And how many have there been?” Nathaniel asked, and Nick swallowed at that, knowing he needed to look over at his father. The man’s face was unreadable, but he had a feeling his father wasn’t happy that he’d been listening in.

“Since school started back up there’s been five,” Nick told him before looking back at Edward. “I can’t speak for any that happened over the summer while I was out of town. Prudence would know the answer to that.”

“Was there anything different at this last one than the others you attended?” Edward asked and Nick shook his head.

“No, sir.”

“Did you sense anything off in the area?” one of the others asked and Nick looked over at them, arching a brow at the question.

“What do you mean?” he asked, curious as to what they were expecting him to have felt. “Is there something specific that you think I or the others might have felt? There was no magic done in the area.”

“Not that you could sense,” Blackwood replied, his tone condescending in a way none of the others had been.

“Or any of you it seems,” Nick pointed out, enjoying the way the other warlock’s lips thinned at that. 

“Thank you, Nicholas. That will be all.” Edward motioned for him to head off and Nick didn’t need to be asked twice, grabbing the box and glass before heading upstairs. 

He downed the glass as soon as he got into the bedroom, kicking off his shoes before flopping back down onto the bed. He didn’t bother changing or getting underneath the covers, simply closed his eyes and hoped sleep wouldn’t take too long to come. Or at least it would pull him under before the meeting downstairs was over so he wouldn’t have to hear a lecture. 

He stared up at the ceiling for a long moment, unable to help but long for his mother’s hands brushing through his hair as he turned onto his side, knowing that was something he’d never experience again. He didn’t know why he still longed for it after all these years, wondered if he’d still do so after a century.

He wasn't sure how he’d feel if he didn’t think of it at times. 

Maybe he should have stuck around Dorian’s. 

Nick sighed, turning onto his back again before rolling the sleeve of his shirt up.

 _Are you awake?_ , he scrawled, not sure if he wanted Sabrina to be or not.

Her answer was quick, letting him know he hadn’t woken her like he feared he might. _What’s wrong?_

Nick wasn’t sure how to respond to that, unsurprised she’d asked though. They usually didn’t reach out to one another this late via this method unless something was wrong. _Meet me on the roof._

It took a second longer than he wanted for her answer to come back, worried she was going to say no. _Mine or yours?_

_Yours_. Technically he hadn’t been told he couldn’t head out again for the night.

Her next answer came a lot quicker. _I’ll bring up hot chocolate_. 

He smiled softly at that, thankful she was willing to do this with him still. _Be there in five._

Good to his word, Nick met Sabrina on their usual spot on the Spellman roof, finding her sitting with two cups of hot cocoa, bundled up tightly in one of the quilts Hilda had made. She handed him a cup as soon as he settled down beside her, opening up the quilt so he could get under it as well. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Sabrina asked before taking a sip of her cocoa.

Nick shook his head, pleased she didn’t push that, leaning against him instead. He wrapped his free arm around her, settling the two of them back against the slant of the roof, content to simply sit there with her, no words needed as they slowly sipped their drinks. He wasn’t sure how long they sat like that, their cocoa finished fairly quickly and set to the side, but neither of them made an attempt to move.

“I was thinking about my mom.” The words were out of his mouth before he knew he said them.

Her hand found his at that, fingers curling around his to hold on tightly, but she didn’t speak, letting him lead the conversation as he needed. 

“She used to hate when we did this.” Nick nodded around the roof. “She was convinced we were going to fall off and break our necks. Which was funny since we can fly.”

Sabrina laughed quietly at that, and he gave her hip a squeeze, tugging the quilt a little tighter around them as the wind blew past. “I miss her,” Nick breathed out after another moment and Sabrina squeezed his hand again, holding onto him a little tighter. He closed his eyes and turned his face until he could press his cheek to her hair, quietly breathing her in to help calm the pangs in his heart. 

They stayed like that, Sabrina stroking the back of his hand with her thumb until they spotted her father’s head peeking up from Ambrose’s window. 

“Time to come in,” he started, eying his daughter before turning his attention to Nick. “You’re free to stay but there is little good that comes from delaying the inevitable.” 

Nick nodded, tempted to take the spare room again but knew the High Priest wasn’t wrong. It was time to go home. “Pick me up for school tomorrow?” Sabrina suggested as she collected the mugs and blanket. 

He nodded, grateful that she gave him something to look forward to after the lecture he was going to hear. Nick spotted that Edward had headed back inside, leaving the two of them alone, and leaned forward, brushing his lips against her cheek like she’d done at Dorian’s. 

“Pleasant dreams,” Nick murmured, enjoying the way her breath hitched, thumb brushing against her other cheek. He lingered there for a moment, lips a hair’s breadth away from her skin before finally teleporting away. At least he’d now have some nice dreams after he was done dealing with the lecture he was about to endure.

* * *

Sabrina shot up in bed, breathing hard as she looked around her bedroom. Salem meowed at her from the top of her pillow, annoyed at how she’d jostled him before turning over to get comfortable again. She pressed her face into her hands, trying to breathe through the intensity of the desire that shot straight through her. Images of the dream she’d had replayed on a loop in her head and she moaned, not sure if she wanted to disperse them or not. 

At least no one else seemed to have heard her cries that night, leaving her alone. She wasn’t sure she could handle any of her family knowing just how bothered she was becoming. Ambrose would have a field day if he knew. 

She fell back against the bed, ignoring Salem’s howl as she grabbed the pillow and pressed it over her face. Sabrina wasn’t sure which were worse, the nightmares before her Dark Baptism or the increasingly frequent dreams she was having of Nick. 

Either way she wasn’t getting much sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the twists and turns here!
> 
> Next chapter, some more witchling meetings, Fright Club, Nick and Sabrina play around with magic and she comes to a realization while Nick tries to release some tension. Thanks so much for reading!


	8. sparks fly

Nick walked into the study hall with a stack of books and scanned the room, looking to see where Sabrina had managed to try and hole up. He arched a brow when he spotted her at one of the tables, several of the other warlocks having taken up the spaces beside her. She was laughing at something Wade had said before turning toward Cyrus, wrinkling her nose at his comment. Gerald scooted closer to her, pointing out something on the paper that was on her tabletop before resting his hand on the back of her chair. 

He didn’t like the stirrings of jealousy that were whirling around in his stomach as he watched them for a moment longer, reminded of every time he watched Sabrina taking hold of Harvey’s hand or the mortal boy kissing her. 

Nick wasn’t sure how he was supposed to handle that again. It had been hard enough playing nice with Harvey every day in school and at all of their get togethers, but at least the mortal boy hadn’t been around any witch things. If Sabrina became interested in one of the other warlocks he wouldn’t even have that reprieve. 

She looked up though, her smile bright as she spotted him, beckoning him forward. Nick nearly shook his head, considering telling her he was going to get some work done in a different corner of the room, but Sabrina was already motioning for Gerald to move over and make room for Nick. 

“Everyone’s been telling me some things they’ve overheard their parents talking about,” she told Nick as he took up the space between her and Gerald. 

Nick offered his friend a shrugged apology, hearing the other boy sigh at being pushed aside, though Nick noted that he didn’t leave the table to go hit up one of the others, Gerald’s attention still on Sabrina. 

“My dad said something about a twentieth anniversary,” Melvin stated, bringing Nick’s attention over to the other warlock.

“Next year is supposed to be the twentieth year since our covens came together and Sabrina’s father was granted permission from the Dark Lord for the creation of the new church under his philosophies,” Nick reminded and the others slowly nodded at that.

Had it really been that long? In some ways it seemed like only a blip in time. “There’s supposed to be a celebration for it in March, right?” Wade asked, looking around at the others.

“We had one for the first, but I think the oldest of us was eight,” Nick furrowed his brow, trying to remember anything from it. “I don’t think we were involved much.”

“I don’t remember it at all,” Sabrina murmured and he reached over, sliding his hand up her back. She jolted a little at his touch before leaning back into it.

“You would have been five,” Nick reminded, drawing little symbols along her back as he looked around at the others.

“I think it was mostly the older witches and warlocks,” Melvin added, hesitant with his reply for a second before nodding again. 

“What else was there?” Nick asked before Sabrina slid the paper to him. He read it over, picking up on their worry from the notes but none of the pieces of information they were able to provide really helped answer any questions. Though it did show that the covens were anxious and yet the adults all seemed certain Father Spellman could protect everyone.

That was good at least.

“What are you studying?” Gerald nodded toward the books Nick had put on the table. “Is it related to the birds?”

“No, just looking at how our symbols have changed throughout the ages for one of my independent studies,” Nick replied. It wasn’t exactly a lie. He was planning on using some of the symbols in the books in a few spells later on. He glanced over at Sabrina. “Are you ready to give me a hand with it?”

“Yeah.” She was already rising, smiling around at the group. “Thanks for the information, guys. Let us know if you hear anything else. We’ll keep you in the loop too with anything we find.” Once they actually had some answers anyway.

“We’re here to help if you need us,” Gerald told her, flashing her a grin. Sabrina offered him up another smile before heading with Nick to one of the other more secluded tables.

“They just wanted an excuse to talk to you,” Nick murmured as the two sat down together.

“They did not,” Sabrina elbowed him in the side.

“Gerald has been salivating over you for weeks now, Sabrina,” Nick replied, glancing back toward the group. The others had begun to disperse but Gerald was still looking their way, his gaze fixed on her.

Sabrina didn’t bother looking over though. “He’s far too domineering for my tastes.”

“You do like to be in charge,” Nick commented, enjoying the way she sucked in a breath at that before she narrowed her eyes as she looked at him.

“Are we looking at these books or not?” Sabrina asked, nodding toward the stack in front of him.

Nick arched a brow, enjoying the way she scoffed at him before he pushed a book over to her.

* * *

“Are you happy football season is over?” Theo asked as the group sat down at the table. They’d opted for something different than Cerberus’ for their Friday meal, deciding on pizza at the lone pizzeria in town.

Considering how packed the place was, it seemed like almost everyone else in Greendale had done the same. Usually the place was pretty much walk-in and find a seat right away dining, but they’d had to wait thirty minutes this time around, something usually unheard of in the small town. It meant free breadsticks though and they were the perfect snack while waiting for the pizza to bake.

“I’m happy I don’t have practice five days a week now,” Nick replied as he leaned back against his chair, draping an arm across the back of Sabrina’s. 

Harvey placed the basket of breadsticks down on the table as he pulled a chair over to sit at the side of the table, unsurprised by how the others had all seated themselves. Theo dove right into the sticks, snagging one of the marinara sauce bowls to share with Roz. 

“What about cheerleading?” Roz asked, watching as Sabrina passed Harvey another bowl while nodding at Nick to get the parmesan cheese bottle. 

“We’re down to two practices a week until January when basketball season starts up,” Sabrina let out a happy sigh at that, watching as Nick started shaking the cheese out onto their bowl, waiting for her to give the okay to stop. “It is kind of nice to be switching over to indoor practice with the temperature dropping.”

“Meanwhile I’ve got set duty every afternoon until the performance in December,” Harvey shook his head, dunking one of the breadsticks into his sauce.

“My, my how the tables have turned,” Theo teased, causing the others to laugh and Sabrina watched Harvey do so as well. 

He actually smiled back at all of them, the awkwardness she’d seen in his gaze before, those lingering glances seeming to have dissipated. It was nice to see him actually look happy again. 

“I still can’t believe they’re doing ‘A Christmas Carol’,” Roz commented and Sabrina groaned.

" _Please_ don’t mention it around my Aunt Zelda,” she pleaded with the group, taking in their arched brows as Nick chuckled.

“It’s one of her favorite books,” he informed the group and Sabrina leaned forward on the table, dropping her head into her hands.

“If she finds out about it she’ll have to see it.” Which sounded like a good thing but… “And she’ll be merciless on how the acting and everything is.”

The conversation flowed easily between the group, Theo making them all laugh when he recounted the insanity of his chemistry class as the pizza arrived. They made quick work of it, ordering dessert soon after as they continued trading different stories before moving onto talking about the latest shows watched and upcoming movie events they wanted to attend together. Sabrina excused herself at one point to use the bathroom, surprised to find Harvey waiting for her once she exited it.

“Can we talk?” he asked, shuffling back and forth on his feet. 

“Of course,” she nodded for him to step off to the side, giving them another moment away from the others.

Harvey took a deep breath, holding up a finger and Sabrina tried to not hurry him along, worry starting to build up in her stomach. She really hoped this wasn’t him attempting to get back together again. 

“I’m thinking about asking out Helena from my art class,” Harvey finally blurted out and the weight that had begun to build up inside of her quickly evaporated.

“She’s cute,” Sabrina told him, grinning at the relief she saw in his features. “You should, Harvey.”

“I just wanted to tell you before you started maybe seeing us around together...not that she said yes or anything,” Harvey hurriedly added, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“I’m sure she’ll say yes,” Sabrina reassured him.

“When are you going to ask Nick?” Harvey nodded back toward the table, watching the other three laughing at something one of them had said.

Sabrina was looking over too, stomach flipping as she watched Nick run a hand through his hair. “Nick and I are friends,” she finally got out as she looked back at Harvey.

He shook his head at her. “So were we,” he reminded her. “And we still are now. Things might be awkward for a little bit depending on how things go but life’s too short for what-ifs, you know?” He paused, remembering that wasn’t quite true for her. “….Or I guess it's not exactly short for you.”

Sabrina frowned, unable to help but wonder if maybe the fact her life would span centuries meant she needed to grab hold of those things she wanted even more or she’d just have decades upon decades to regret not doing so. She hadn’t been looking at it that way before, too scared about ruining what she did have to quite realize everything she was missing out on.

“The two of you have been circling around one another for years now, Brina,” he continued and she looked back at Harvey, ready to protest that. “You loved me, I know, but you can’t tell me that the two of you haven’t always been connected.”

“We should probably get back before they wonder if we fell in,” Sabrina nodded toward the others. “But thanks. For telling me and giving me something to think about.”

“It’s not like you to let fear stop you from something,” Harvey told her before heading over to the table.

She sighed at that, knowing he was right as she followed after, sliding back into her seat beside Nick. She just needed to figure out how exactly to take the next step forward.

* * *

“Why are we taking one of the rooms instead of going to the library?” Sabrina asked as she followed Nick into the empty classroom in the witch wing of Baxter High. 

This side had more tables than the single use desks that were more common on the other side of the building. Chalkboards still used for jotting down information instead of the more digitally advanced boards. Sabrina felt it was a little like stepping back in time in some ways whenever she headed over to this area and yet in other ways it was far more advanced through the magic that they did. 

“I think we need a break from looking for answers and to actually work on our independent study work,” Nick told her as he waved his hand, utilizing his powers to move the few tables in the middle of the classroom to the walls.

It _would_ be nice to have a break from reading. “I guess the books will still be there later on.”

“Exactly,” Nick grinned at her, setting down his bag and she followed suit, motioning for her to join him at the chalkboard. “We need to decide what exactly we want to try and show. We could go the easy route and do some of your father’s spells that aren’t taught here. It’d give us an easy enough A.”

“That sounds boring,” Sabrina murmured, nose scrunching at the idea.

“Doesn’t it?” He jostled her with his elbow, bringing out a short laugh. 

“So what do you have in mind, oh wise one?” Sabrina teased, watching as the piece of chalk lifted, drawing a circle on the board.

“We already know that doing one circle his way gives a pretty powerful punch to the conjuration spells, right?” Nick asked, and Sabrina arched a brow at his stick figure drawing that he formed over the circle.

“Is that supposed to be you?” She thought the little curl he gave to the figure's head was supposed to represent his hair. 

He eyed her and she held up her hands, pressing her lips together to contain her laughter. “And by connecting circles we increase that twofold,” Nick continued, adding a circle and a figure that she guessed had to be her. 

Sabrina nodded. “And if you add another it increases it a little more.” And so on.

“I’m wondering if we can increase that without needing two separate circles,” Nick told her and furrowed her brow at that, trying to figure out how that would even be possible. “When we combine two circles our magics are still separated, bolstering one another but they’re not really combined.”

“You want to try to combine magic into one?” Was that even possible? 

“I think it’d be even more powerful than what we can do now,” Nick told her, turning slightly so he could look at her better. “If we can manage it. Some of the old texts talk about it being a thing. They just don’t say _how_ it happened.”

That would have been too easy. “I’m trying to figure out how we even start trying this.” 

“Maybe just start by feeling each other’s magic?” Nick reasoned. “If we can sense the differences in each other’s power then I think we can eventually learn how to combine it in ways no one else is really utilizing.”

“I’ve always wondered why we don’t really do that in any of the spells we’re taught,” Sabrina murmured, glancing back at the circles. “We help boost each other at times, but it’s all very _me_ oriented.”

“Well, considering the iron grip the Anti Papacy has had on the witch community for the last millennia that isn’t too surprising,” Nick pointed out. “Hoarding power for yourself is something they’re pretty staunch supporters of.”

“True,” Sabrina murmured before looking back at him. “So you want to feel out each other’s magic and just kind of go from there?”

“I mean, it’s all pretty theoretical but I think that’s the place to start,” Nick replied before nodding toward the open space on the floor. “You know what yours feels like, yeah?”

“Of course,” Sabrina told him. Though it felt different than it had before her Dark Baptism. 

“So I think we need to be able to know the other person’s just as well for it to work,” Nick told her as they headed over to the floor. “Just do a simple spell, something easy that can be felt.”

They sat down cross legged across from one another, their legs touching. Nick placed his hands--palms up--on his knees and motioned for Sabrina to place hers on top of his. She watched as his lips moved while he murmured a spell she couldn’t quite make out. His magic rippled by her, ruffling her hair, before she spotted the small white flowers beginning to grow along the ground around them. 

Camellia. 

They’d been his mother’s favorite. 

She gave his hand a squeeze as he kept up the spell, letting the flowers spread out across the room. Sabrina closed her eyes, trying to focus on the threads of magic that she could sense coming off of him. It was different than her own, more earth toned, somehow steady with an undercurrent of danger that rippled through it, sparks of mischievousness there as well. It reminded her of him. Somehow a steady presence and yet there was no denying that he could cause an upheaval as quickly as any earthquake or landslide could manage. It wrapped around her, like a warm hug, comforting and yet she felt a desperation mixed with pleasure to it that she couldn’t quite understand.

“Your turn,” Nick breathed out and Sabrina didn’t open her eyes just yet, letting his magic wash over her for a little longer. 

It took her a moment to figure out the spell she wanted to do but as she felt Nick linking their fingers together, she opened her eyes, lighting every candle that was placed around the room in quick succession. She watched Nick’s quick intake of breath as he felt her magic--hot, fast and all-consuming--fill the room. 

He didn’t flinch away from it like she’d feared he might, leaning toward her instead, seemingly drawn to it and her. She didn’t quite know how to describe the look he was giving her, the need she saw in his gaze mixed with an emotion she wasn’t quite ready to give name to just yet. It pulled at her though, calling to her in ways she hadn’t felt before her Dark Baptism, drawing her toward Nick, bringing up images from her dreams over the last few nights. 

Sabrina found she was breathing harder at his look, her heart pounding in her chest. Harvey’s words from the other day repeated in her head and she leaned forward, tired of denying herself what she so desperately wanted. 

The bell rang, jolting the two of them from the moment, the candles all quickly blowing out. 

“We should get going before Sister Jackson gets in here and gives us both detention,” Nick said after a moment, moving to help pull Sabrina up as he rose. 

“It’s never fun being on her bad side,” Sabrina muttered, flicking her hand to help erase the board while Nick got rid of most of the flowers. He saved one, tucking it into Sabrina’s hair. 

“Nearly the same shade,” he murmured before nodding toward the door. The two of them gathered their bags and headed out of the room together, stopping right outside of the door. “See you after school.” 

Sabrina watched him go for a moment before turning and heading off to her next class, taking deep breaths to try and center herself. She’d work through the insanity going on in her head after school.

* * *

Roz leaned back in the booth at Cerberus Books, watching as her best friend leaned forward, dropping her head into her hands. She didn’t say anything, waiting for Sabrina to say what was wrong. She’d learned long ago that trying to dig things out of her friend only led to a delay in actually getting any information. It was always a better idea to wait it out.

“I like Nick.”

“I’m aware,” Roz replied, amused by how matter-of-fact Sabrina’s statement had been.

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. Clearly she hadn’t gotten that across like she needed to. “I mean I _like_ Nick.”

“Yeah, I know, Brina,” Roz told her, nodding along with it and holding up a hand when Sabrina tried to reply. “So does Theo. So does Harvey. I’m not so sure Nick knows it yet but I think basically the rest of the school does. Though he might know and just be waiting for you to get out of your own head about it.”

Sabrina pressed her face against the table top, letting out a groan and Roz shook her head, amused by the theatrics. “The real question is what are you going to do about it?” She reached over, flicking Sabrina’s headband. “And don’t give me that whole ‘It wouldn’t be fair for him’ speech again.”

Sabrina peaked up at her through her hands, resting her chin on the table still. “I’m thinking now that it might not be fair that I’m trying to deny it.”

“I like this new self-awareness that you’re getting,” Roz told her before taking a sip of her hot cocoa. Milkshakes were delicious but not exactly practical with the dusting of snow on the ground.

“Rozzzzz,” Sabrina groaned, moving to lean back against the booth.

“I feel like being straightforward is a good strategy,” Roz continued, nodding toward the half eaten gingerbread cookie. “Isn’t that what you did with Harvey?”

“Nick isn’t Harvey,” Sabrina pointed out.

“He definitely isn’t,” Roz agreed. “But I still think being straightforward after all these months--” If not _years_ \-- “Of denial is the way to go about it.”

Sabrina opened her mouth to reply to that before quickly shutting it again. “Nope, stop that,” Roz told her, chucking a marshmallow at her friend. “You’re getting into your head again, coming up with all of the what-ifs and things that could go wrong. If this was anything but telling Nick you liked him you would be diving head first into without another thought.”

“That’s not exactly true,” Sabrina started before sighing at Roz’s pointed look. 

“Besides, I bet he’s a phenomenal kisser,” Roz pointed out, grinning at the happy sigh Sabrina let out at that. “I mean, I’m pretty sure we’ve commented on it when watching him kiss others at parties.”

Salem appeared beside Sabrina before she could reply, meowing loudly at her which had her groaning. “I’ve got to get home,” she told Roz as she grabbed her coat, shooing Salem off the booth as she moved.

“It’ll work out, Brina,” Roz assured her. “Try not to overthink it too much.”

From the look Sabrina gave her right before teleporting away with her familiar, Roz knew that probably wasn’t going to happen. She reached across the table and snagged the leftover gingerbread man. There was no point in letting it go to waste. 

The bell to the front door rang as it opened and Roz grinned as she spotted Nick walking inside with a few other warlocks. He waved to her before saying something to the others before heading over to her while the others got a booth. 

“It’s not like you to be eating here alone,” he commented as he slid into the spot Sabrina had vacated moments before.

“Sabrina just left,” Roz told him, twirling the gingerbread man around.

“That does explain the other half-drunk mug of cocoa.” He nodded toward the mug pushed slightly to the side. 

“I’m just finishing this cookie and then I’ll be on my way too.” She motioned toward the other group. “You guys here for dinner.”

“Yeah, quick meal before our coven’s service,” Nick told her as he leaned back against the booth.

“I forgot you guys do yours at night.” Sometimes it was difficult to wrap her head around everything to do with her friends’ lives. The things she’d learned in her own home and church didn’t quite add up with what she knew of her friends and their lives, but it seemed to be the same for Sabrina and Nick about hers. “I mean, my dad does a Wednesday night group thing too, but most attend the Sunday services.”

“How’s he doing?” Nick asked, not really wanting to get into a talk about their different religions. It never ended all that well.

“Worried about my Grams, but she’s fit as a fiddle and will probably outlive all of us.” She spotted a bit of red on the ground and shook her head, leaning over to retrieve the object. “Brina left her scarf.”

Everything froze around her as she took hold of it, images bombarding her all at once, showing her something that was to come or maybe had already happened, the world around her put on hold as the scenes played out.

“Roz?” He rounded the table within seconds of her freezing up, having seen her become overwhelmed by a vision before. Nick took hold of her hand, knowing that talking didn’t help much but someone being there beside her when she came out of it would. He motioned for Dr. Cee who hurried over. “Water and pretzels or nuts or something to get in her stomach.”

“You got it,” the older man replied before hurrying off to retrieve some things.

Roz took a deep breath as she pulled out of the vision, grasping hold of the table before turning to Nick. “Dr. Cee is going to bring you some water and--”

“There’s a woman, Nick,” Roz told her, trembling at the images she’d seen. “I don't know if she's friend or foe. But she’s coming and nothing will be the same after she gets here.”

“What does she look like?” Nick asked, needing answers and Roz tried to grab hold of the images, to clearly see who it had been but something was blocking them. A searing pain lashed through her, causing her to grab hold of her head.

“I don’t...I can’t see it anymore.” That hadn’t ever happened before. 

Nick offered her the cup of water, making sure she drank it. “It’s okay. We know something is coming,” he told her. They could figure the rest out. “Let me get you home, okay?”

Roz nodded, the headache only growing as she tried to pull at the images again. They were gone, but she knew she’d seen something. A woman. It had been a woman, hadn’t it?

* * *

Nick blew out the candles that were set up along the Coven of the Arcane’s desecrated church. His father was in the middle of discussions with several other members of the covens while the rest of it was heading out of the back doors, ready to head back to their own homes. A quick glance over at his father let him know he didn’t need to stick around any longer and Nick gathered his coat and scarf, pulling them on as he started to head out of the building.

Gerald easily caught up with him, nudging him with his elbow as they stepped out into the cool night air. “You haven’t been coming around Dorian’s.”

“Some would say that’s a good thing,” Nick pointed out, giving his friend a lopsided grin as they leaned against the outside wall. 

“Cutting back from every night to a few nights, yeah, but you weren’t there at all this week,” Gerald pointed out as he pulled a box of cigarettes out from his pocket. He offered one to Nick who shook his head. He’d never quite seen the appeal of them, not a huge fan of the smell. Especially with how it seemed to linger on books.

“I’ve been busy with other things,” Nick told him, watching as his own breath showed in the flickering lights of the lanterns hanging around the church’s exterior.

“Like what?” his friend asked, before taking a drag. 

“A couple of things my father wants me to learn about coven business,” Nick nodded back toward the door.

“He looks busy with the elders so I’m guessing he’s not expecting you to do that tonight.” Gerald arched a brow at Nick, wondering if the other warlock would deny that or not.

“Probably not.” It seemed he did have a free night and it probably wasn’t a good idea to head to the Spellman place to do research that late in the evening. Father Spellman would definitely know they were up to something then. 

“How about joining us tonight then?” Gerald continued, nodding off to where their usual crew was gathered by another set of lanterns, waiting for them. 

Nick took in the group before pushing off of the wall. “I’ve got no other plans.” It’d be good to release some of the tension that was constantly building inside of him.

Dorian’s felt different than when he’d been in it only last week and he spotted the couch he’d been sitting with Sabrina on. Had he imagined that she’d nearly leaned toward him, her lips closer to his than they’d ever been? Or the slight shiver along her skin as he’d trailed his fingers along her neck and shoulder? 

She leaned into the littlest of his touches, constantly reaching out for him but not quite like they’d always done since they were kids. Now it was like she was right next to him, hand on his arm, thigh touching his as they sat and read through books, reaching over to fix a curl of his hair. And yet she was still so far away. 

Nick didn’t hesitate to head up to one of the rooms with Gerald and one of the older warlocks, letting their hands and mouths work off the ever increasing tension that had coiled tightly around him. It wasn’t quite right though, the blonde who’s thighs he was between not the one he wanted on the bed with him. The nails digging into his back, leaving jagged scratches that he cried out at, gaining his own release weren’t the ones he wanted on him.

The tension had left him but as he laid back on the expensive sheets, not bothering to watch Gerald and the other warlock, Nick could feel his frustration only renewing. 

This wasn’t enough anymore. 

He wasn’t sure it ever really had been.

* * *

Sabrina sat at the top of the stairs, trying to keep to the shadows as best she could manage. She’d heard her father come home and at first had been heading down to greet him. The sound of her Aunt Zelda calling his name from the living room had her rethinking her actions though. She _knew_ that tone her aunt was using, the one that meant she was annoyed and would broker no nonsense for the next few moments.

Salem sat beside her, glancing down toward the living room that they couldn’t quite see into, both thankful that Rhea didn’t seem to be skulking around downstairs as well. 

“We’re quite aware you’re not simply having a nightcap with Nathaniel, brother,” Zelda stated and Sabrina could almost picture her aunt taking a long drag from her cigarette after that. 

No doubt her father had moved over toward the fireplace, looking out at the framed photos on the mantle. “What Zelda means to say is--” her aunt Hilda started, always the one attempting to offer a buffer to the situation.

“He knows precisely what I mean,” Zelda snapped and Sabrina cringed at the ferocity she heard, knowing Hilda was probably making the same face. “How many side meetings have you had now?”

Silence reigned in the room for a long moment before Sabrina heard her father respond. “As many as are needed.”

He sounded exhausted and she wondered if his shoulders were sagging, the weight of the world seeming to be on them, while resting a hand on the mantle. No doubt looking at the photo of her mother in her wedding dress.

“For all of these newfound ways and reverences you’ve included for witches in this Path of Night that we’re all on, you still can’t seem to give either of your sisters a straight answer about anything,” Zelda snapped, and Sabrina heard Hilda sigh.

“No, I simply won’t satisfy your curiosity about matters that don’t concern you,” Edward countered and Salem moved closer to Sabrina, resting his head against her thigh as her heartbeat sped up listening to the two argue.

“If they concern a member in this family then they concern Hilda and I,” Zelda replied and Sabrina pressed her face against the railing, trying to hear their muffled voices better.

“And if it was something that either of you could help with, I would let you know, Zelda,” her father replied and Sabrina knew that wasn’t going to go over well.

“You’re a stubborn fool,” Zelda spat out. “One would think you’d have learned your lesson on trying to do everything yourself after--”

“Zelda!” Hilda snapped, cutting her sister off. “These walls have ears.”

Sabrina knew better than to stay around then. She picked up Salem before hurrying out of view and up toward Ambrose’s room, not wanting anyone to spot her. He sighed as he spotted her entering, beckoning her forth onto the bed and drawing her into a hug. He’d heard the raised voices, and while he hadn’t been able to make out what was being said he knew it couldn’t be anything good.

“Do you know what they’re fighting about?” Sabrina murmured as she set Salem down onto the bed.

“They’re not fighting, they’re arguing,” Ambrose pointed out as he laid them back against the bed. “You’ll know it's fighting because someone will end up in the pit.”

She wrinkled her nose at that. “Ambrose.”

“I don’t know, Sabrina. There are things even I’m not privy to. I’m just as much a child in their eyes as you are,” he reminded and she sighed at that, knowing he had a point. 

“Can we stay up here tonight?” she murmured, resting her head against him, thankful that her cousin nodded.

“Try to keep your tail out of my mouth, Salem,” Ambrose murmured, shaking his head as the familiar flicked him in the face as he settled down onto the pillow. “I’m sure it’ll be alright come morning, cousin.”

“What if it's not?” she asked, not sure how to take her cousin’s sigh at that.

“Sometimes I forget how young you are.” He brushed his fingers through her hair. “They’re very passionate people, Sabrina. They’re going to argue about anything and everything from time to time. This is nowhere near the level of yelling that happened in 1975 when Zelda lost some book or the other and was convinced that one of them had gotten rid of it.”

“Why would any of them get rid of it?” She couldn’t see her father or Aunt Hilda doing such a thing.

“Everyone was rather over her constant quoting the thing at the breakfast table,” Ambrose explained. “Though I’d say the battle over who got to read the newspapers first was my favorite.”

Sabrina pressed her lips together at that one. Zelda always got the paper first and then her father looked at them next. “Aunt Zee won that one with the reasoning that since Uncle Edward was constantly in and out of the country she shouldn’t have to alter her own habits to accommodate him when he decided to spend time with his family.” 

“I mean, fair,” Sabrina replied, seeing her aunt’s reasoning on that one. 

The knock at the door startled the two of them and they looked over toward it. “I’m only allowing entrance if you come bearing cookies,” Ambrose called out and Sabrina wrinkled her nose at that, unsurprised by his antics.

They heard their aunt’s scoff before the door opened and Zelda stepped into the room. “We’re having a sleepover,” Ambrose informed her. “It’s apparently much too noisy on the lower floors these days.” Sabrina elbowed him at that.

Zelda looked between the two of them. “Don’t come whining to me when neither of you wish to wake in the morning,” she told them even as she retrieved the extra blanket from on top of the wardrobe and spread it out over the two of them. “You have school, young lady, and you have your own studies to attend as well, Ambrose.”

They both nodded, watching as she smoothed her hand over the blanket before heading back out of the room. “I bet we get our favorite breakfasts in the morning,” Ambrose commented, wagging his brows at Sabrina before he waved his hand to shut off the lights. 

She just hoped that her father would actually be joining them for it as well.

"Now, cousin," Ambrose started, and she didn't like the teasing lilt to his voice. "Please try to refrain from dreaming of dear old Nicholas tonight."

Sabrina tensed against him. There was no way he knew what she was dreaming about. He had to be taking a stab in the dark. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ambrose flicked her nose. "Your late night moans suggest otherwise."

Sabrina's eyes widened at that, her brain short-circuiting as she processed what he'd said. "It's perfectly natural and healthy to be doing so, Sabrina. And unsurprising that it's him," her cousin told her as she wrinkled her nose at that. "You two have been attached at the hip since you met."

"Maybe." She knew he was right about that and she wanted to make the move forward, to try out something with Nick but… "I don't want to keep him from what he enjoys, Ambrose."

"What do you mean?" His eyes had adjusted some to the darkness, but it was the way her whole body seemed to sigh that let him know she was worrying. It was never good when she did that.

Sabrina rested her head back against his chest, hands tucked under her chin. "I wouldn't want to share and he’s...very good at sharing. And he _should be_.” She pushed herself up, drawing her knees up to her chest.

Ambrose knew better than to say anything yet, letting Sabrina get everything out before he replied always seemed to work better. “It’s what we’re supposed to do, right?” she continued, tucking her hair behind her ears. “And I tried, okay? Like Paige is really pretty and I know she’d love making out with me but I just don’t want to and Gerald is constantly trying to get my attention and he’s hot but the idea of kissing him does absolutely nothing for me.” 

She just wanted Nick. 

"Oh, cousin.” Ambrose chuckled at that before giving her a squeeze. “What makes you think that Nick would want to share you with anyone else either?" It pained him a bit to say that, but considering what he’d seen between the two of them for years now, Ambrose knew the other warlock wouldn’t want to, that he’d be all in with however Sabrina wanted their relationship to go.

“And you have never done anything the way the rest of us have,” her cousin pointed out as he tugged her back down to him. Sabrina poked him in the side at that, some of the worry that had been constantly swirling inside of her easing a bit at his words. “I’d be worried if you started doing so now.”

She let out a short laugh at that. “Now get some sleep. I want to be well rested for the waffles will be waking up to in a few hours,” he murmured as he tugged the quilt back over them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Fright Club, a witch gathering and the witchlings all go to Dorian's together. All of them.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading and commenting. I love seeing everyone's thoughts and theories! <3 <3


	9. sparks fly

“You don’t have to teleport directly anywhere anymore?” Theo asked as he claimed one of the tables with Nick and Sabrina.

“Nope. We just need to not go places alone now,” Nick replied, thankful they’d managed to get a spot in the back of the library, well away from Cassius and the other librarians prying eyes. He knew to keep an eye out for the warlock's tabby cat familiar though, certain the little beast was moving around and trying to listen in on a few conversations.

“But there’s also no criteria to who we have to be with,” Sabrina pointed out, unable to help but frown.

“You thought there would be?” Theo asked as he leaned forward, glancing between the two.

“Oh yeah,” Nick nodded. He wasn’t sure what it meant that there wasn’t one. 

“I mean...it's a good thing there’s not any though, right?” Theo looked between them again, noting how Sabrina’s frown seemed to only deepen while Nick shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know,” Nick admitted. “It’s just weird that they’ve pulled back like they have after being as overly cautious as they were.” There had to be a reason for it, but Nick couldn’t figure out what it was. He did know it wouldn’t do either of them any good to ask about it. No doubt they’d be told it was none of their concern like Zelda had done to Sabrina before her Dark Baptism.

“Maybe they figured out who caused the birds to kill themselves like they did,” Sabrina murmured. It wouldn’t surprise her if they didn’t bother telling them if they thought they had the problem handled. Especially not after the conversation she'd overheard last night. 

Nick nodded at that. He wasn’t so sure that was the case but it was a definite possibility. Or at least one they would want to broadcast to all the magic users in the area and maybe give pause to whoever had cast the birds. Their fathers looked at the world in a way he couldn’t quite wrap his head around yet, seeing the possibilities spread out decades into the future, used to playing a much longer, drawn-out battle with any of their enemies.

“So what are you looking for now?” Theo nodded toward the books in front of his friends. He could read the titles of the English ones but wasn’t too sure about the Latin or French ones.

“We’re trying to read up on Lilith,” Sabrina told him, holding up one of the books in front of her. 

Like so many of the books from the witch section of the library it looked old. It wasn’t yellowing and ripped pages like the ones on the mortal side had. It was the way the thing was bound together, clearly by hand and he was pretty sure with some sort of leather. They didn’t have anything like that in the mortal books. The oldest one they had was probably some incredibly outdated encyclopedia. 

“Lilith?” Theo frowned, trying to remember if he’d heard that name anywhere before but was coming up empty. His family wasn’t overly religious and while he knew some basics of Roz and Sabrina’s different ones, he was clueless about a lot of it. “Who exactly is that?”

“Adam’s first wife,” Nick replied, turning around the book he was flipping through to show a replica of a painting of a red-haired woman with a snake entwined around her naked body.

“I thought that was Eve?” The one who ate some piece of fruit.

“No, she’s his second who was made out of his rib,” Sabrina replied and Theo arched a brow at that. He had no clue about the rib thing.

“Lilith was made the same way that Adam had been but she left Eden because she didn’t want to be second to Adam,” Nick explained, flipping to another page that showed a woman leaving a garden. “She thought they should be equal.”

“The tales say she met Lucifer after he fell, while she was wandering the world,” Sabrina added, glancing over at the book Nick was showing. “And then depending on the version you believe either she became his concubine, they created Hell together, or it's somewhere in the middle.”

“She’s also the Mother of Demons,” Nick reminded, turning to the next page that showed Lilith surrounded by various depictions of demons.

“Wait like...did she give birth to them?” Theo asked, furrowing his brow as he tried to take it in.

“She’s the one who creates them but I don’t think it's really stated anywhere how she does that,” Sabrina murmured, glancing over at Nick for confirmation on that. She’d at least never come across anything that stated how the demoness did so.

“Does kind of make the ‘just a concubine to Lucifer’ bit not seem as likely though,” Nick pointed out as he shut the book. “But that’s the version that the covens outside of Greendale believe.” 

“But yours don’t?” Theo looked between the two.

“No, Lilith is revered in ours,” Sabrina told him as she opened her own book. “We see her as Lucifer’s right hand.”

“I’m pretty sure the others see her as they do in order to perpetuate the belief that witches are lesser than warlocks,” Nick explained and Theo frowned at that. 

“So basically the patriarchy is everywhere,” Theo muttered, shaking his head, unsurprised that was the case.

“It was one of the tenants that my father got rid of,” Sabrina murmured, and Nick nodded, confirming that. “Witches aren’t secondary to warlocks. We’re just as gifted as they are at magic.”

“Oftentimes more so,” Nick nodded toward her and Sabrina rolled her eyes. 

She nudged him with her elbow. “Says the top boy in every magic class.” 

He grinned at her before resting his hand on the top of her chair. “But why are you guys researching Lilith?” Theo asked, watching as Nick brushed his fingers through the ends of Sabrina’s hair, noting that Sabrina didn’t move away from that.

Nick explained the symbol found in the woods where they’d been attacked and how they’d located it in one of her father’s journals and then one of his mother’s. Theo nodded along, thinking he could understand the connections as Roz joined them as well. 

“Okay, but if your covens revere Lilith then why would a symbol related to her worry your dads?” Theo asked and Roz arched a brow, not entirely sure who Lilith even was. Theo shrugged, not sure he could explain any of it.

“Symbols get appropriated all of the time,” Nick pointed out and the other two nodded. “We just need to figure out who might have done so and why.”

“So we figured, look at all the resources we have on Lilith and expand from there,” Sabrina added, leaning back a little into Nick’s hand.

“Can we help?” Roz asked and Theo nodded, eager to do so as well.

The other two glanced at one another before pushing some of the books written in English forward. “You guys are the best,” Sabrina told them, grinning.

“We know,” Theo agreed, causing them all to laugh before quieting down when they were hushed. They all glanced around at one another, Sabrina and Roz trying to stifle another laugh as Nick and Theo shook their heads.

"How exactly do covens work? The ones outside of Greendale?" Roz asked, trying to understand differences. “I don’t know how they’re all governed, but I know while what my dad preaches has some similarities to Catholicism or Presbyterianism or Lutheranism, there’s _a lot_ of differences too.”

“Most are under the Anti Papacy,” Nick told her and Roz blinked.

“Anti Papacy?” Had she heard that right? “Like an Anti...papal office of some kind?”

“Pretty much, yeah,” Sabrina murmured, nodding.

“There’s others that are more nature leaning or stricter even than the Anti Papacy or way more lenient,” Nick continued. Ones he’d visited with his mother in his early years while she’d done her research.

“So not everyone falls under the Anti Papacy then?” Theo asked, trying to connect all of the dots. 

“No, but most do,” Sabrina replied, before pursing her lips. “There are only a few other sects around and they’d rather none of them existed. Ambrose says they tried to stamp out a number of them through the years.”

“Can they do that to yours?” Roz asked, looking between the two, worry beginning to build in her.

Sabrina shook her head. “My father was granted a century without interference. After that he needs to showcase that his ways are benefiting witchkind.”

“Which shouldn’t be difficult to do,” Nick pointed out, shrugging in an attempt to make light of that. 

The other two turned back to their books, starting to read through them, but Nick and Sabrina exchanged a look. It might not hurt to start looking into some of the antipapacy’s history and see if they could find the symbol or something along those lines in it too.

* * *

“You really haven’t heard anything about what it will be like?” Mona asked, pouting when Sabrina and Nick shook their heads. 

The other witchlings in the area sighed, settling down on the benches as they waited for the others to show up. They’d been permitted to do magic together again, not in the woods as they’d done before, but in Nick’s backyard. It wasn’t quite as far removed from town as the mortuary was, but still backed up to the woods as well. The grounds were kept in meticulous condition, various intricate topiaries dotting the landscaped paths. 

No one had come alone so far though, everyone showing up with at least one other in the group if not more than that. The weight they had all been carrying since the prior incident might have lifted but none of them were stupid. It never hurt to be a little cautious. 

“Not a thing, sorry,” Sabrina informed them as she sat down on a patch of grass by Lavina. “Dad doesn’t usually fill me in on that kind of thing.” Though, now that she was an official member of the coven he might start doing so.

“And my father knows better than to try,” Nick added, earning a few chuckles as he sat down on the bench behind her. 

“It’s out of Father Blackwood’s hands,” Agatha mentioned as the Weird Sisters stepped into the area, not bothering to sit down as they looked out at the others.

“Which is a pity,” Prudence added as she crossed her arms. “If he was in charge of it then it would be what it used to be before it was watered down to the version we all celebrate.”

“Can you imagine being picked to be the Dark Lord’s Queen?” Dorcas let out a breathy sigh and Sabrina scoffed at that.

“They weren’t ever his queen,” she replied, raising a brow at the fact anyone could still think of the Feast of Feasts that way. “The Dark Lord didn’t attend a single one of the feasts in the centuries that our coven had to endure that travesty of a tradition.” Nick leaned back against the bench, pressing his lips together as he watched her sit up a little straighter. This was one subject she could go off on a long tirade about if allowed. “They called it being Queen for a day so they could make sure the witch who was chosen was clean enough to be cannibalised.” 

Sabrina made a face at the very idea of that. “There was nothing glorious about it.”

“I don’t expect you to understand--” Prudence started and Nick shook his head, knowing that was the wrong thing to say.

“What am I supposed to understand about a fake tradition that has no actual basis on anything of importance?” Sabrina interrupted, gesturing for the older girl to explain.

“A witch sacrificed herself so that the coven wouldn’t go hungry,” Agatha pointed out but Sabrina rolled her eyes. 

“ _Oh please_ ,” she muttered, waving off that answer. “How does that even make sense? If those members even had an inkling of magic they would have been able to either get themselves to a better place for the winter, conjure up an animal to actually eat, and managed to set a fire.”

“She kind of has a point,” one of the others commented, a few others murmuring in agreement.

“Plus I’ve looked at the coven registry and there was never a witch by that name in it. So _fake_ ,” Sabrina added before shrugging. " _And_ it's never been shown that the Dark Lord even endorsed the whole ritual which was why that part was abolished."

“Feel better?” Nick asked as he leaned forward, breath tickling her ear. She tried to elbow him but he was already scooting backward, knowing that would be her retaliation. 

“If you had your way, Sabrina, I doubt we’d engage in any fun witch traditions,” Prudence replied, arching a brow at her. 

Sabrina knew she was being goaded, knew she shouldn’t respond back to the older girl, but opened her mouth, ready to reply when Nick rose. “Are we doing magic or not?” he asked, looking around at the rest of the group. “I say we break into small groups and see what each group can come up with.”

“Hear hear!” Gerald replied, a few others echoing his sentiment. “A little competition always makes things more lively.”

“And what does the winning group get?” Agatha asked, a little too eagerly at first before settling back into a look of disdain. 

“To lord it over everyone else until the next gathering,” Nick shrugged, not particularly caring if there was some prize or not.

“How about they decide what we’re all doing after this gathering is over,” Lavina suggested and the others nodded at that. It seemed like a decent enough wager for everyone.

Nick spotted Gerald eyeing Sabrina from across the way and rising, no doubt intent on seeing if she wanted to partner with him for the task, but she was already turning around and looking up at him. “What do you want to try for?” Sabrina asked and Nick chuckled, amused that she didn’t even ask if he wanted to be her partner. 

“I think a lot of them are going to try and use the Pendulum configuration that we taught them so we should maybe try to not be too flashy,” Nick suggested as he held out his hand, clasping hold of hers to help pull her up. 

He spotted the blonde warlock’s frown at that, though watched as the other boy simply shrugged before heading over to talk up one of the other girls. “So...wood nymph?” Sabrina frowned at her own idea and Nick leaned forward, cocky little grin tugging at his lips.

“I said not too flashy, not let’s go for downright boring,” he told her with a wink and Sabrina rolled her eyes at him. “How about a hellhound?”

“How isn’t that flashy?” Sabrina arched a brow even as they headed over to an empty area to start getting their circle ready. She hadn’t actually done an official hellhound yet, sticking to the animals on the peripheral of Hell that were connected to some of the other realms instead. 

“We could go for an actual demon,” Nick pointed out and she shook her head. 

They knew the symbols for the hellhound, having memorized several of the creatures of Hell’s specific ones a few years back. The two of them had quizzed one another relentlessly on them that summer, making the other quickly jot one down whenever they shouted out the name at random times. It had greatly amused their parents, especially his mother. Sabrina glanced over at Nick, spotting his chest tighten for a moment, the memory seeming to pass across his face as well. She nearly reached over to give his hand a squeeze but he offered up a smile, nodding for her to work on the symbols as he drew their circles. 

Different creatures were popping up around them in the other witchlings circles, nothing too dangerous, but definitely more complicated than they had managed when Sabrina and Nick had first taught them the spell. Sabrina watched the others happily chattering away, their excitement over accomplishing the magic was contagious. She glanced over at Nick, knowing his expression reflected her own, and realized that the two of them both mirrored her own father in that moment. 

She’d seen that same look of pride in his face whenever he managed to teach one of them something new. 

“Ready, Spellman?” Nick asked, nodding toward their entwined circles. 

A hellhound appeared and Sabrina sucked in a breath as she took in the creature, startled by how familiar it looked. “What?” Nick asked as the creature paced around the circle, his barks muffled by the barrier spell they’d made sure was in place as well.

“Remember Gilly?” she murmured, not looking away from the creature.

Nick arched a brow at that. “Your imaginary familiar friend when you were little?” The one she’d had before starting at the mortal school. He remembered that she’d said it was following them around everywhere they went that one summer, trying to make space for the creature in all of their games. 

“That’s what he looked like,” she motioned toward the hellhound. Except the color was wrong. This one was almost as dark as the night sky. Gilly had been more rust colored.

“Your imaginary familiar was a hellhound?” Nick murmured, looking between her and the creature. “Only your imagination would conjure that up.”

“My dad got really mad when I told him about it,” Sabrina frowned, remembering the incident. “Not at me, but at Gilly and wouldn't let me go outside for a week...and then he was just gone. I never saw him again. Aunt Zelda thought he was being crazy.” She looked back at Nick, imitating Zelda’s voice, “Every young witch has an imaginary familiar, really now, Edward.”

Nick nodded. He remembered that she’d had the creature one summer and then it was gone, something she didn't want to talk about the next. “It was the only time he's ever snapped at her, telling her that I was his child and not hers,” she recalled, pressing a hand up against the barrier. “They didn't talk for a month.”

Nick watched her closely, trying to determine what exactly she was piecing together in her head. “It couldn’t have really been a real hellhound, right?” Sabrina asked as she glanced over at him.

If it had been anyone else asking that question he would have said no, certain that was impossible. But he wasn’t so sure that was the case for Sabrina. Not with how she’d brought forth fire without a spell or how she’d talked about her Dark Baptism unlocking something _inside_ of her instead of power rushing into her from an external source. 

“Anything’s possible,” Nick decided on instead, watching her brow furrow at that before he banished the creature. He stepped closer to her though, watching as the others started banishing their creatures as well. “Try not to overthink it.” Which was like asking the tides not to move. 

“Did you see what we managed?” Paige asked as she hurried over to the two, thankfully pulling Sabrina out of the inward path she was about to go down. The girl’s enthusiasm was hard to ignore. 

“We couldn’t have managed it without the spell you guys taught us,” Melvin added, the two of them nodding as others came over to talk about what they had managed to do as well before it was decided that Gerald and Lavina had done the most complicated creature with their conjuring of a Harpie. 

“We pick Dorian’s,” Gerald informed the group, glancing over toward Sabrina again before everyone started to gather their things. “We all deserve to cut loose some.”

“Don’t worry, Sabrina,” Prudence commented as she walked by Sabrina and Nick. “No one expects you to show up.”

Sabrina glared at the witch’s back as Prudence walked by with her sisters causing Nick to shake his head. He knew she wasn’t going to be able to back down from going now. Not with that gauntlet thrown.

* * *

“Just toss it back and swallow,” Paige told Sabrina as one of the bartending staff set the tray of shots down in front of the group. “That way you taste as little of it as possible.”

Sabrina squinted at the blue alcohol. What was the point of the drink if they weren’t even going to taste it? She looked back around at the others gathered around the high top table, watching Lavina nod in agreement to that. Nick and Gerald were deep in their own conversation while Elspeth looked expectantly at Sabrina. 

“Bite into the lime wedge after too,” Elspeth told her, nodding toward the bowl of them. “It helps.”

“To new magical spells,” Lavina offered up as the four girls all lifted a shot before doing as Paige had directed. Sabrina made a face as she grabbed at one of the wedges, quickly biting into it to help wash out the alcohol taste. 

Nick shook his head as he watched, grinning at her look of utter disgust before spotting how Gerald was watching her as well. Lavina headed off to order them another round while Elspeth started talking to Paige about her top. 

“How many spells has your dad taught you?” Gerald asked, scooting a little closer toward Sabrina along the table. Nick stayed in his spot, watching the two of them closely as he nursed the bourbon he’d ordered. 

Sabrina took a sip of her water before looking over at the other warlock. “I don’t think I could actually give a number for that,” she replied as she leaned against the table, though Nick noted she wasn’t canting her body toward the other warlock like Gerald was doing to her. "I’ve been learning from him and the rest of my family since I could talk I think.”

“Probably before then,” Nick offered up, raising his glass to her and she looked over at him, scrunching her nose. 

“This one had quite the temper as a toddler,” Ambrose commented as he joined the group, draping his arm across Sabrina’s shoulders. “Used to make everything in the mortuary shake and break things whenever her father had to leave.”

“That’s a lot of power,” Gerald told her, impressed. Sabrina was sticking her tongue out at Ambrose, missing the way Gerald’s gaze raked over her body, but Nick noticed it, grip tightening around his glass.

“He’s exaggerating,” Sabrina protested, poking Ambrose in the side. 

“I’m not,” her cousin replied, dropping a kiss to her forehead before he was pulled off toward the dance floor. 

“I’m sure it won’t be long before you have another independent study under your belt,” Gerald told her, inching even closer and Sabrina grinned. 

“My goal is to beat out Nick’s amount before next year,” she replied, leaning forward conspiratorially at that, before glancing over at her friend.

“If anyone can, it’d be you,” Nick murmured, watching as Gerald reached over, running a finger up Sabrina’s arm. 

“If you ever need a study partner,” Gerald offered and Sabrina looked down at his finger against her skin for a moment before she tilted her head. 

“I love this song!” She took a step backward.

Gerald moved with her though, extending a hand. “Do you want to--” 

Sabrina turned toward the table, locking eyes with Nick. “Dance with me.”

Nick almost felt bad for his friend as he rounded the table and took hold of Sabrina’s hand, letting her tug him toward the dance floor. “The dancing here is a little different than at the Baxter High dances,” he warned her as they made their way past the couches, pushing through to the floor.

“I know,” Sabrina murmured as they stepped out into the throng of people pressed closely together. 

The music and energy of the room seemed to thrum through her body, giving her the courage to push aside all of her worries, tired of letting her fears of ‘what-if’ deny her what she really wanted. The scent of magic and sex was potent, only egging Sabrina on as she pressed back against Nick, tugging his arm to drape across her stomach as they began moving to the beat. She felt him stiffen at first, the uncertainty running through him as well, before his other hand moved to settle on her hip. It was his lips brushing against her shoulder that had Sabrina letting out a happy, little sigh, giving his hand a squeeze before she turned to face him. 

There was a hunger to Nick’s gaze that Sabrina didn’t think she’d ever seen before, and knew it reflected the same stirring of desire that had pooled in her stomach and fanned out. He twirled her out from him before pulling her back in, hands roaming up and down her arms, across her back. She gripped tightly onto his shirt at first, certain he was going to disappear, that she’d wake and this would just be another of her dreams, before sliding her hands up his chest, around to his back, and up to his neck, stroking her fingers through his hair.

Each caress and tug, the brush of his lips against her neck and shoulders each time her back was pressed against him, his hand slipping under her shirt to caress her bare skin only added to the little fires that seemed to be igniting everywhere inside of her, desperate for release of some kind. 

His forehead pressed against hers once they were facing each other again and Sabrina gripped his shoulders tightly. “Nick,” she breathed out, needing him to look at her for what she said next. “I don’t…” She heard his sharp intake of breath, spotted the worry in his gaze, could feel him tense under her hands and she pressed closer to him. “I don’t share well.”

The coil that had tightened in him released at her words, squeezing her hips as he laughed at that, looking down at her with a look that she could only think to describe as adoringly. “I’m aware,” he murmured, moving to brush his fingers against her cheek. 

Sabrina turned into that touch before taking a breath, trying to figure out how to say the next part. He felt her tense up, spotted her worrying her bottom lip between her teeth and tilted her chin up so she was looking at him again. “I don’t want to share you either,” Nick told her and he watched as her eyes widened at that, letting go of the breath she’d taken.

“No?”

“I never have,” Nick admitted, deciding in that moment that her answering smile was his favorite that he’d ever had her direct toward him. He didn’t hesitate, fingers sliding to tangle in her hair as he pressed forward, kissing her soundly. Her fingers tightened in his shirt as she kissed him back. There was a thoroughness to it that she’d never experienced before, a longing in it that echoed the one uncurling inside of her, leaving her breathless when they rested their foreheads against one another, no longer moving on the dance floor. 

Someone let out a whistle--Sabrina was pretty sure that it was Ambrose--but she kept her gaze on Nick as they pulled back just a little from one another. His hands were still in her hair while she still held onto his shirt. 

“Want to get some air?” Nick suggested, enjoying the dazed look in her eyes before she nodded. He took hold of her hand, smiling as she linked their fingers together, before they started to move through the crowd, pushing to get to the exit. 

He spotted Dorian looking their way, watched the older warlock motion toward the staircase that led to the available rooms, but Nick shook his head, pulling Sabrina out toward the back of the building. Nick quickly put up a warming spell around them, not wanting to cut their moment short because of the chilly night. He kissed her again as soon as the door closed behind them, enjoying the way her hands curled into his shirt, body pressing against his as he slid one hand down her back, the other brushing against her cheek. 

He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to stop kissing her now that she’d allowed him to do so once, lips drawing across her chin to find her neck again. Her breathless little sighs turned into a throaty groan as he nipped her neck, enjoying the feel of her nails digging into his shirt as she tried to steady herself. 

The wind whipped up the leaves outside around them, rustled the tree branches in the small courtyard adorned with red lights and a few chairs and tables set about. No one else was using the area, kept inside by the cold temperature and that suited Nick just fine, not wanting an audience as he moved back to Sabrina’s mouth, intent on deepening the kiss this time around. 

Something grabbed hold of him, pulling him away from her and pushing him down toward the ground. Sabrina cried out at that, moving to help him, but it snatched her into the air, wind whirling around her, twisting her in the air and trying to draw her further up into the sky. Nick pushed at the invisible force, uncertain how the wind was able to hold him down the way it was and tried to think of _anything_ that could counter it. 

Sabrina flipped in the air, trying to brace herself as the wind lashed out at her limbs, cuts forming on her cheeks and neck. She tried to push it away with her magic, but nothing seemed to work as she felt herself rising further into the air. How was she supposed to break the grip of something she couldn’t even really _feel_? 

The whispers wrapped around her next, words she couldn’t quite make out at first being carried along by the wind. She froze, limbs locking as she realized it was her mother’s voice that she heard, crying out for her, desperate to be given her baby back like she had in that one horrible nightmare. 

Sabrina lashed out at the words, tried to muffle them as she pressed her hands over her ears. On some level she heard Nick crying out her name, heard him trying out different incantations to break free and help her. The desperation in his voice tugged at her, had her fight against the wind renewing, trying to get it to release her. Fire didn’t seem the way to go this time around, a coldness seeping into her bones that she’d never experienced before.

She let it seep out of her, freezing the air around her, stopping its attack and she fell toward the ground as it had to release its hold on her. It shattered as it hit the ground, the pieces holding Nick breaking as well as Sabrina touched down onto the ground, watching as the pieces of ice simply disappeared. 

Nick scrambled to his feet, taking note of the cuts on her face as he grasped hold of her. “I’m fine,” Sabrina protested, certain she could heal the few injuries that she’d sustained. 

“We need to tell your--” he started, watching as she quickly shook her head at that, clasping her hands over top of his.

“If we tell my father he’s just going to put all of the restrictions back in place,” she tried to reason but Nick simply stared at her, not exactly surprised she didn’t want to say anything.

“Sabrina,” he started again, sighing as she shook her head again.

“Please, Nick. We’re fine,” she insisted and it was his turn to shake his head.

“Someone sent that thing to attack you.” He was certain of it. He might not have felt magic happening around them but maybe it had been sent from further away. Maybe that’s what had happened in the woods as well. 

He was beginning to think the incident in the locker room wasn’t Dorcas’ doing after all.

“We don’t know that,” Sabrina started, looking away at the look he gave her. “Maybe it was after you and not me.” Except it had been _her_ mother’s voice that she’d heard in the wind.

“It pushed me out of the way,” Nick reasoned. “It tried to _carry you off_.”

She sighed at that, knowing he was right. “If it had tried to do that to me or any of the others, you’d want to make sure your father knew,” he continued and she pursed her lips, clearly unhappy with his reasoning. 

“Let’s just get this over with,” Sabrina muttered, dropping her hands but Nick caught them, giving each a squeeze before he teleported them to the mortuary.

The night definitely wasn’t going at all how he thought it might anymore.

She was probably angry with him for insisting they do this, but if it meant Sabrina was safe then Nick didn’t care. He’d figure out how to smooth things over with her later.

* * *

“I’m fine,” Sabrina insisted as she wiped the healing cream across her cheeks and forehead. 

At least her aunts weren’t home, having gone over to another of the coven’s houses for a witch club meeting. Two less of them fussing for now was the most Sabrina could hope for. She wouldn’t look at Nick who sat by her on the couch, but she hadn’t moved away from him either when he’d sat down beside her. 

“Can you describe what it was that attacked the two of you?” her father asked, watching the two closely from his place across from them on one of the chairs. 

Rhea sat next to him but her attention was on Salem, trying to get any information she might be able to gleam from Sabrina’s familiar. Thankfully he was doing a good job of hiding his anxiety that echoed her own by curling up in her lap, purring softly. Amalia laid on the floor at Nick’s feet, giving nothing away as well.

“It was the wind,” Nick replied after a long moment. “I don’t know how else to describe it other than that.” He glanced over at Sabrina but she still wasn’t looking at him. The cuts were at least healing and he watched her place the bottle of cream down on the table, certain she was going to scoot away from him then. Instead she simply leaned back again, stroking her fingers through Salem’s fur. 

“It pushed me down, locking me in place,” Nick continued, looking back at Edward. “But it was trying to take Sabrina away.”

“Sabrina?” her father asked, clearly wanting her to expand.

“Like Nick said it was the wind,” she murmured, keeping her gaze down on Salem. “It was weird though, daddy. Not like anything I’ve felt here before. And…” She finally looked over at her father. “It carried whispers in it. One’s that I think we're meant to make it so I couldn’t concentrate enough to do magic.” 

“What did the whispers say?” Edward asked but Sabrina leaned back against the couch at that, lips pressed thinly as she furrowed her brow. He knew that look, knew it meant she wasn’t going to expand any further no matter how hard he pushed. “How did you get it to release you?”

“I froze it.” Sabrina shrugged, looking over at Nick, hopefully he wouldn’t bring up the fact that she hadn’t actually used a spell to do so. 

“And then it just disappeared,” Nick continued, feeling her relax a little beside him. He knew she wasn’t going to like what he said next though and steeled himself for her reaction. “This is the third time you’ve been attacked though.”

“I wouldn’t call the birds an attack,” Sabrina started, not liking when he shook his head, realizing he meant the incident on the first day of school. “That was just Dorcas being stupid.”

“We don’t know that it was Dorcas,” Nick pointed out. “I’m not sure she’d be capable of bringing forth a sea monster on her own and Agatha and Prudence aren’t going to do something that stupid at school with the mortals around.” 

“It went for Lizzie and Kate first, _not_ me,” Sabrina reminded, wanting to refute his idea. “And they’d been talking about _you_ so I still think it was Dorcas being her jealous, annoying self.” 

“Will someone please explain this business with a sea monster?” Edward suggested, causing the two of them to look over at him.

Neither of them liked the gravity of the look he was giving them. “Someone set a sea monster loose in the locker room on the first day of school after cheerleading practice,” Nick informed him.

“It was Dorcas,” Sabrina butted in, causing Nick to sigh at her insistence on that. It was her father’s sudden rising that had both of them looking back at him. She didn’t like the worry she saw there, the way Rhea had risen as well, her ears back and alert. “What is it?”

“Nothing for either of you to worry about,” Edward told them, moving to head toward his office.

“Daddy,” Sabrina started as she and Nick rose, Salem letting out a yowl while being deposited on the couch so they could follow after her father. “You can’t just say that and walk away.”

“You know we’re just going to look into it ourselves,” Nick added, causing the older warlock to stop at the office door and press a hand onto it. “It’s probably a better idea to just fill us in here and now because we will find out. Just like we found out that the symbol in the forest represents Lilith.”

They watched as he tensed at that before opening the door and gesturing for them to follow him inside. “It’s a test,” her father started as he moved toward the bookshelves as the two of them sat down on the chairs.

“A test?” Nick asked, watching as Edward retrieved a book before coming to stand in front of them. He held an old book, one full of Antipapal laws. 

“You’ve been attacked by a creature of the sea or water, one of earth, and now one of air,” her father continued, turning through the book.

“Why would anyone be testing me?” Sabrina asked, watching as her father stopped on a page and turned the book around for them to look at.

“There are those who didn’t trust you would have any power,” Edward explained as he leaned back against his desk, pinching his nose as they looked over the text.

“They obviously never met her if they think that,” Nick muttered, not liking anything that he was reading in the text. There was still one more test to go. _Fire_.

“Indeed,” Edward continued, taking the book back as they finished. He set it down behind him before focusing on Sabrina. “But I’ll handle this, my little witch. Do not worry about that.”

“What does it have to do with the Lilith symbol?” Sabrina asked and her father sighed, clearly unhappy that they’d looked into it. 

“Or the magpies?” Nick prodded but her father was already moving to put the book away. “Do you think it's coming from the Antipope’s office?”

“We know that they’re not exactly happy with what you’re getting to do here,” Sabrina added, and Nick nodded at that. 

“It’s being handled, _children_.” Neither of them liked his emphasis on the last word, knowing there wouldn’t be any further explanations given that night. “Thank you for getting Sabrina home, Nicholas. I think it's best you get some rest now, Sabrina.”

They knew better than to push with that tone of voice, heading out of the room instead. “I’ll retrieve that book from my father’s office,” Nick told her as they headed out toward the porch. “See if I can find anything else in it.”

Sabrina nodded, arms crossed and not quite looking at him again. Nick let out a sigh, reaching over to touch her shoulder. “Sabrina,” he started, but she was already stepping back to head inside. 

“Let me know when you get home, okay?” she murmured, glancing up at him, and he didn’t see any anger in her gaze. 

Nick nodded, nearly stepping away so he could teleport home, but instead tilted her chin up, giving him a better angle to kiss her. He didn’t want her to think he’d forgotten what had happened _before_ they’d been so rudely interrupted, pressing his lips to hers. The longing he felt was reciprocated as she kissed him back, arms uncrossing so she could lay one hand against his chest. He pulled back after a moment, enjoying the way she touched her lips, unable to help smiling.

He winked at her before teleporting away, intent on retrieving the book from his father’s office before Edward had a chance to contact him.

* * *

Sabrina blinked awake, not sure who was gently jostling her at first before her father came into focus. She wiped at her bleary eyes, Salem letting out a pitiful meow at being woken as well before he turned back over. “Daddy?” she murmured, voice heavy with sleep. 

Edward sat down on the bed, brushing his fingers through her hair. “I have to go again.”

She pushed herself up at that, shaking her head. “What? Why?” She knew he hadn’t finished with whatever was happening in Slovenia, but the Feast of Feasts was next weekend. She thought he’d at least stay until after that.

“They shouldn’t be doing this to you,” Edward told her, and she frowned at that, not at all liking that he seemed to be leaving because of what had happened. “I should have put two and two together much quicker than I did.”

“I’m fine, daddy,” Sabrina insisted. She’d dealt with the attacks, come out of them okay. 

“That’s not the point,” he replied and she moved forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug that he easily reciprocated. He brushed his hand through her hair, resting his chin on top of her head. “I’m going to put a stop to this.”

“When are you going to be back?” she murmured after a moment, hating that he pressed a kiss to her head, knowing it meant he was going to move away.

“In a week, maybe a little longer.” He rose, touching the framed photo of her mother on the bedside table. Sabrina couldn’t make out his expression in the darkness of her room, but she had a good idea of what it looked like. A sad smile, the same one he usually had when he looked at her mother’s photo. 

He turned back to Sabrina. “I love you very much,” Edward told her as Rhea pressed up onto the bed, butting her head into Sabrina’s side. 

“I love you too.” Sabrina stroked her hand over the familiar’s fur for a moment before Rhea moved again, heading toward the door. Slowly, Sabrina laid back down, watching her father head out of the room.

She tucked her hands under her chin as the door closed, waiting until she heard him descend the stairs, a conversation starting up with her aunts, before she let the tears start to fall. Salem moved from his spot on the pillow, curling up against her to offer some comfort as she let herself cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are amazing! I love seeing all of your reactions and feedback.
> 
> Next chapter: dealing with the fallout of this chapter, Nick and Sabrina figuring things out, the Spellmans learning of a few things, and the Feast of Feasts.


	10. feast of feasts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I'm so pleased everyone enjoyed Sabrina and Nick coming together. 
> 
> Next chapter, Hilda dealing with the two dating, Fright Club, Sabrina has a dream, some cousin moments and Nick and Sabrina try magic again.

“Careful, Scratch,” Ambrose warned from his spot out on the mortuary porch. He lifted his mug of piping hot coffee up in greeting. “My cousin is in a foul mood this morning.”

Nick sighed, unsurprised by that news. “I woke up to a note on my bedside table. Edward’s gone too?” He didn’t really need the confirmation, certain that was the answer, but leaned against the wall at Ambrose’s nod.

“Left in the middle of the night.” Ambrose shook his head. His entire family was overly dramatic. “Though I’m told he had the decency to say goodbye to her before leaving at least. I’m not too sure what had him leaving.” He glanced over at the younger warlock, certain Nick would have an idea.

“She was attacked last night,” Nick replied, looking up at the rooftop of the porch.

Ambrose straightened up at that. “What? When?” Everything seemed to have been going so well last night for the two of them.

“After we left the dance floor,” Nick explained, sighing again. “We went out to the little garden area for some privacy and we were attacked. Whatever it was came for her. Apparently she’s being tested.”

“Tested?” Ambrose arched a brow, taking the book that Nick offered up. He let the mug hover in the air, mouth twisting as he took in the title. Nothing good ever came out of anything put out by the Antipope’s office.

Nick flicked his hand, turning the pages until it got to the one they’d been shown last night. “A test of the Antipope’s office to discount someone as a witch.”

“Those bastards really don’t know when to leave well enough alone,” Ambrose muttered, reading over the entry. He slammed the book closed when he was finished. It was bad enough that they considered his cousin’s birth to be heresy--even _with_ the Dark Lord’s blessing--but to be putting a young witch through such tests was irresponsible at best, downright deadly at the worst. And the fact that they’d done so _before_ she’d had her Dark Baptism had him reeling inside. No wonder his Uncle had left. Ambrose only hoped that Edward would be able to dole out the appropriate amount of pain.

No one messed with their family and lived. 

Ambrose rose, handing the book back to Nick. “Come on, I believe breakfast is ready and Aunt Hilda was making enough for you as well.”

Nick tucked the book back into his bag and followed after Ambrose into the house, stopping in the foyer as Sabrina descended the stairs. Ambrose left the two, continuing on toward the kitchen. Nick watched her make the last few steps down, Salem bounding down after her, and stood a little straighter. Would she give him the cold shoulder now? Blame him for their fathers slipping off in the night? 

She moved right to him as soon as she stepped off the last step, Salem heading off into the kitchen while she hugged Nick tightly. He wrapped his arms around her, the tension that had built in him releasing as her arms slid around him, her face pressing into his neck. “I thought you were going to be angry with me,” Nick murmured, breathing her in.

“I considered it, but it's not your fault our dads are both idiots,” she muttered, hugging him a little tighter. “And we needed to tell him what happened at Dorian’s…” Or at least part of what happened at Dorian’s. They didn’t need to know about the two of them kissing.

“I will eat all of these waffles,” Ambrose called out, causing Nick to chuckle while Sabrina rolled her eyes.

“The aunties wouldn’t let him,” Sabrina murmured, not moving an inch away from Nick.

“I know, but we do have to head to school soon,” Nick pointed out, enjoying her pout as she looked up at him. He brushed her hair back, hands cupping her cheeks before he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. 

“Mmmm,” she hummed as they finally stepped away from one another. 

They headed into the kitchen together, finding Zelda already reading through the paper while Hilda was doling out waffles onto everyone’s plates. “Good morning, Nicholas,” Hilda greeted, lightly slapping Ambrose’s hand when he tried to take a waffle from Sabrina’s plate. 

“I warned them,” he protested, smiling brightly at her stern look as the other two sat down. 

Zelda folded the paper, setting it down at her side before she looked over at Nick and Sabrina. “With both of your fathers departures the two of you are going to need to step up.”

“Step up?” Nick asked, watching Sabrina pour syrup into a corner of her plate before passing him the bottle.

“They were supposed to be the hosts for Feast of Feasts this week,” Zelda explained as she buttered her toast. “As their children, that honor now falls on the two of you.”

“What does that even mean?” Nick persisted, knowing Sabrina wasn’t going to like this at all.

“It’s not even a real witch holiday,” she muttered beside him, and Nick bit down on his lip as he tried not to chuckle. Ambrose snorted while Hilda murmured out an ‘Oh Lilith’.

Zelda’s attention snapped over to the two of them again, lips pursed as she regarded the two. “What does that--It’s not even a--” She let out a long suffering sigh, giving her niece a pointed look as Sabrina shrugged. “ _Really_ , the two of you. It is a day for our covens to come together. To feast, to dance, and continue to make the connections that are needed between witches and warlocks.” 

Sabrina opened her mouth to say something, but leaned back in her chair as Hilda shook her head, letting her know it would only fan the flames. “As for what you’ll need to do,” Zelda continued as she placed the knife down. “You will be in charge of greeting everyone, say the blessing at the start of the feast, and mingle throughout the night to ensure everyone is attended to and enjoying themselves.”

“No sneaking off to read books together this time around, my loves,” Hilda told them, offering up a small smile.

“Or engage in other activities,” Ambrose murmured, before letting out a yelp as Sabrina kicked him under the table.

“I’ll expect you both here after school to help with the decorations,” Zelda informed them, and it was Nick’s turn to sigh at that. “Thankfully everything has already been ordered and the catering taken care of. So you really only have the bare minimum to do.”

“Lucky us,” Sabrina muttered, earning another pointed look from her aunt before she focused down on her waffles. It was probably best to eat and not make any further comments so they could head off to school without being roped into anything else.

“It is a privilege to host such an event among our covens,” Zelda continued and Sabrina stuffed her mouth full of waffle, knowing that was the only way she’d stop herself from replying. “Something that the two of you should be proud to be tasked to do.”

“Isn’t this why they both designated another in the covens though to take on their roles when they’re away?” Nick pointed out and Sabrina nodded along with that.

Zelda regarded them both carefully before shrugging. “Well, if you’d rather Father Highmore and Father Blackwood--” 

“No,” Sabrina furiously shook her head at that. “We’ll do it.”

“You just don’t want Blackwood doing anything,” Nick teased, enjoying the way she scrunched her nose at him.

“You’ve never had to sit and listen to him drone on about anything,” Sabrina replied, shuddering at the idea of it. “I’m doing us all a favor.”

“Faustus is a fine speaker,” Zelda started, eyeing Ambrose when he snorted.

“He’s rather boring,” Hilda piped up, ignoring her sister’s look as their niece and nephew nodded in agreement.

“Bland,” Ambrose added.

“And I don’t think he actually believes in daddy’s ideals anyway,” Sabrina muttered as she took another waffled to add to her plate.

“Of course he does,” Zelda pursed her lips at that, shaking her head. “Why else would he be here?”

“Because daddy is powerful and being around him makes Father Blackwood feel powerful,” Sabrina replied, and Hilda quirked her lips, murmuring something that sounded like ‘she has a point’.

“It wasn’t like he was rising in the ranks with the former Church of Night,” Ambrose added in, causing Zelda to draw forth a cigarette. “I mean...wasn’t he Uncle Edward’s mentor at first?”

“Centuries ago,” Zelda waved that off, lighting the cigarette.

“Had to smart that Edward was the one who became High Priest though,” Hilda replied before she poured herself some more water. She leaned forward, looking conspiratorially at the younger three. “I think he thought for a bit that he’d take over and form his own church after Edward informed the Antipope of his plans. But everyone in our congregation followed our brother. There wasn’t anyone for Blackwood to lead.”

“Couldn’t he have just joined a different coven?” Sabrina asked. She _wished_ he had.

“Of course, but the likelihood of him becoming High Priest for a different…well,” Ambrose canted his head back and forth. “That would have taken decades at the very least.”

“Enough chatter about what Faustus did or didn’t accomplish,” Zelda interrupted, nodding towards everyone’s plates. “You two need to finish up and head to school. And remember, directly here after in order to help with the decorations.”

* * *

Roz looked down the hallway, trying to locate Sabrina so the two of them could head to homeroom together. Her mouth dropped open for a moment, quickly turning into a wide grin as she spotted Nick leaning down and kissing her best friend. It took her brain a few seconds to register what had just happened, watching the two of them exchanging some small talk before he headed off to his own classes, and Roz hurried over to grab hold of Sabrina’s arm.

“ _When_ did _that_ start?” she demanded, her face almost hurting from how big she was smiling. There was far too much ease between Sabrina and Nick for that to be a first kiss. 

“Last night,” Sabrina told her, her nose wrinkling as her lips pulled into a wide smile. They both let out a little squeal, jumping slightly before heading off toward class.

“I need details,” Roz insisted as they sat in their usual seats for homeroom. 

“We went to Dorian’s as a group after our gathering,” Sabrina told her, leaning forward. She cast a small privacy spell, making sure they could still hear their teacher call out their names for roll call. “We danced while we were there and well, one thing led to another, and so we kissed.” She bit her lower lip before pressing them together, giddy energy nearly overwhelming her. “ _A lot_.”

Roz liked this look on Sabrina, the pure happiness that seemed to be radiating off her friend was a nice look after the worry that had been etched into Sabrina’s features over the last few months. “So you guys are together?”

“We haven’t actually had the conversation but I think so?” Sabrina replied, quirking her lips as she thought back to her conversation with Nick on the dance floor. “Like we both told each other that we don’t want to share.”

“How did _you_ not have that conversation?” Because Roz had a very hard time not seeing Sabrina trying to figure out all of the ins and outs right away. Though, considering the reactions they’d seen to Nick kissing other people it wasn’t that hard to imagine Sabrina forgetting to get to that part.

Sabrina sighed though, the almost wistful look in her eyes darkening as she dropped back against her seat. “We were kind of attacked.”

Kind of? Only Sabrina would say kind of. “Again?”

“Apparently I’m being tested,” Sabrina murmured as she pressed her elbows against the desk, dropping her head into her hands.

“Tested?” Roz arched a brow as she leaned forward as well. Clearly she was missing part of the story.

“My dad thinks the attack in the locker room is actually tied to the other two and that there’s one more that the Antipapacy is going to throw at me,” Sabrina frowned, hating that the stupid tests were why her father had left. 

“Why would they be testing you?” Roz reached over, taking hold of one of Sabrina’s hands, giving it a squeeze.

“Prove I’m not a witch or something like that.” She knew that there were those who thought because her mother had been mortal that she would be lesser than them, that her power would be minimal or nonexistent. But the idea of someone actively trying to test her for it rankled her. If she hadn’t had any power she could have died. That was probably what the preferred outcome would have been for those causing this, but it hurt to think that someone could wish that on her just for how she was born. 

Roz squeezed her hand again, sensing the darker shift in her moon and Sabrina let out another sigh before looking over at her friend. “My dad and Nick’s dad left to go put a stop to it.”

“Can I help in any way?” Roz asked and Sabrina shook her head, squeezing back.

“I’d say come help make decorations for the stupid Feast of Feasts, but I know you’re on pie duty for your family’s Thanksgiving.” She appreciated the offer though. 

“I have to make four different kinds to accommodate everyone,” Roz let out a long, suffering sigh. “Pecan, apple, pumpkin and I haven’t decided on the last.”

“I’m sure it’ll be delicious, no matter what you choose,” Sabrina assured her as the bell rang. “We better go. I don’t want to be late for Ms. Wardwell’s class.”

* * *

“I think that’s the part that makes me the angriest,” Sabrina narrowed her eyes as Nick and her walked side by side through the hallway. They were each carrying a stack of books to look through, heading toward the room for study hall. “Like what if I had no power, then I’d be dead.” 

That was a possibility that Nick didn’t like imagining even for a fraction of a second. “They would have killed me and not blinked an eye about doing it,” she continued, the lockers rattling around them as they passed before he nodded his head, getting the door in front of them to open. “No regard for how that would have devastated my dad, the rest of my family. How callous do you have to be to try and eradicate someone like that?”

“From the few times I ever met anyone from that branch of witchcraft…” Nick started as they found a table to sit at together. He wasn’t surprised to find that they were the first to arrive, though he doubted it would be long before the others showed up.

“With your mom, right?” Sabrina asked and he nodded, mouth twitching into an approximation of a smile as he thought of her before he let out a sigh.

“Yeah, when I was with her during her travels,” Nick reached over, tucking a curl behind her ear, enjoying the way she leaned her head into his hand at that, seeking out his touch. “They’re not nice people, Sabrina. The coven members were mostly fine--except for the zealots but I think that’s pretty standard for any zealot.” She nodded and he kept his hand on her hair for another moment, sliding his fingers through it before dropping it to rest on her lap. She easily took hold of it, interlocking their fingers together as he continued, “They were just witches and warlocks trying to live their lives, learn magic, find their place in the world. But their High Priests and members of the Antipapal offices...They had an air about them, a superiority complex, believing themselves to be right and just with all of their actions.”

Sabrina pursed her lips at that, unsurprised by his description of them. She’d heard countless stories from Ambrose about them, especially those who’d sentenced him to house arrest for decades. 

“They were really big fans of the Caligari spell,” Nick added, and Sabrina arched a brow. 

“Caligari spell?” She hadn’t heard of that one before.

“It renders whoever is under its thrawl to be docile and obedient,” Nick told her, giving her hand a squeeze as she digested that information. “The witch usually sees and hears everything happening to them and around them, but they can’t do anything about it.”

“That’s horrible. And the Dark Lord allows that?” How could he? Was that how he saw witches? Except...no, her father said that was wrong. That the Dark Lord thought all of his children on the Path of Night were important and powerful, not just the warlocks.

“They say he does, but your father denies that was ever sanctioned by the Dark Lord and more just the Anti Papacy's desire to gain power,” Nick told her as the others started heading into the room. “Not much has changed in those offices in centuries. The same Antipope is head of it, surrounded by the same people, all of them gaining wealth and power, doing whatever they can to preserve that.”

“Not so different from what Roz has said about her own church’s politics,” Sabrina murmured and Nick nodded. 

“I think that’s part of why your dad wanted to try something different,” Nick told her as Gerald, Melvin, and Elspeth sat down at the table with them. 

“Are your dads really gone again?” Elspeth asked, looking anxiously between the two of them. 

Nick shrugged and leaned back against his chair. “Their trip to Slovenia got moved up by a week. Nothing to worry about,” he nodded over toward Sabrina before grinning mischievously at the three. “Though it _does_ mean that Sabrina and I are hosting the Feast of Feasts.”

“So it won’t be a boring dinner followed by mingling and dancing?” Gerald asked, hopeful.

Sabrina laughed. “We’re not miracle workers.”

“Plus I think your Aunt Zelda would murder us all if we strayed too far from the usual,” Nick pointed out and the others all nodded at that. No one wanted to be on Zelda Spellman’s bad side. 

“We can at least throw in some better music choices,” Sabrina offered and Melvin nodded at that. 

“Maybe add in some fun games afterwards too?” Gerald suggested, looking between the two.

“You have some ideas?” Nick asked as he rested his hand on the back of Sabrina’s chair, slowly drawing little symbols along her back. 

“I can think of a few fun ones for us to all try out,” the other warlock replied and Sabrina wasn’t sure how to define the look that passed between Nick and him. 

“Write them down and we’ll see what we approve of,” Nick told him, before nodding toward the books he and Sabrina had brought in. The other three nodded, heading off to join up with some of the other tables and Sabrina glanced over at Nick.

“Do I want to know?” she asked, wondering what games the two could possibly be considering.

“Ones that I’ve no intention of sharing you in,” Nick told her, enjoying her arched brow at that before he reached over and brushed his thumb against her lips. 

The simple gesture with those words shouldn’t have sparked a shot of desire that poured out of her core as quickly as it did, shooting up and throughout her. At least the quiet moan she let out seemed to create the same reaction in him if his darkening gaze that focused on her lips was any indication. 

“Nick...are we…” Her conversation with Roz from earlier in the day echoed in her mind. They’d kissed several times and there had been that brief talk about not wanting to share but she needed to know before anything else happened. “Are we together…” No, that didn’t quite define it enough for her and she furrowed her brow. “I mean are you my boyfriend?” 

Sabrina knew it wasn’t a definition that was used in their world. None of the others in the room with them were in any kind of relationship like that and she couldn’t blame Nick if it wasn’t what he wanted either. Because he had to know that to her boyfriend meant a whole lot. 

It was startling to watch how quickly his gaze softened at her question, all of his openly flirtatious demeanor giving way to a look that she could only seem to define as adoring. Had he always looked at her like that?

“I sure hope so,” Nick murmured, reaching over to touch her cheek again. She leaned into his touch, placing her hand over top of his.

“I know it's not exactly a thing that witches and warlocks do,” Sabrina continued. No one in their generation was doing so and from what she’d heard from Ambrose it wasn’t really a thing in his group either. 

“Then I guess it's going to be a thing _we_ do,” Nick suggested, enjoying her bright smile at that before she leaned in to kiss him. There was a softness to this one that he’d never really experienced before, so much promise seeming to be found in it. 

Sabrina struggled to find the next words that she needed to ask. Part of her not wanting to deny him the world he knew but the idea of him with anyone else cut deeply. If she was honest with herself it always had. “And we’re...exclusive? I know it's not… I just...”

She wasn’t sure what to do if he said no to that, hating how tense she was becoming again.

“Just you and me,” Nick assured her, feeling her relax and he smiled at that. He knew why she hadn’t been certain about that--their entire culture was built around open relationships that were forever changing for centuries on end and he’d partaked and enjoyed that part of it--but he wanted her. 

He wanted love. 

“Just you and me,” she whispered back, her smile matching his. 

Nick nodded toward the books. “Let’s get this assignment done.”

He knew if they didn’t that Sabrina would insist on working on it after school and he could think of far more enjoyable activities for the two to get up to. After they helped out with the decorations.

* * *

“You two crazy kids manage to keep your hands off one another at school?” Ambrose asked as he joined Nick in Hilda’s botanical room. The younger warlock was working on mixing together a potion using some of her ingredients and jumped at the sound of his voice.

“Sabrina is right, we do need to hang a bell around your neck,” Nick muttered, thankful he hadn’t accidentally added too many of the seeds he was trying to carefully count out.

“I'm going to take that as a no,” Ambrose shook his head, fairly disappointed over that news. He leaned against the table, looking through the ingredients that had been set aside.

“Guess it depends on your definition of hands off,” Nick replied with a shrug.

“Considering it's my cousin, I doubt you were doing anything that merits much gossip yet,” Ambrose commented, drumming his fingers along the table top.

Nick looked over at the older warlock. “I'm not going to push her to do more than she's ready for.”

“A little nudge in the right direction can't hurt though,” Ambrose pointed out. “She deserves to have some fun. You both do.”

“It's been two days, Ambrose,” Nick countered. The last thing he wanted to do was spook Sabrina by going too fast from the outset. 

Ambrose scoffed at that. _Two days_? Who did these two think they were fooling? “This has been years in the making. Besides, if the dreams she’s been having since her Dark Baptism are any indication, Sabrina isn’t as uncertain as she’d like us to think.”

Nick arched a brow at that. “Let’s just say she’s moaned out your name a time or two when I’ve walked by to get a midnight snack,” Ambrose continued, winking at the boy before he pushed up off the table and headed out of the room.

Nick blinked at that, taking a moment to process exactly what Ambrose had said, before grinning. Maybe he didn’t need to go as slow as he’d been planning after all, though he’d still adjust to the pace she wanted. But, Ambrose was probably right, a little nudge or two, some exploration to see what all she wanted couldn’t hurt.

* * *

“I think we all deserve some refreshments, don’t you think, loves?” Hilda asked as she set down the black and red centerpiece that she’d been working on. She looked over at the other two, watching her niece and Nick look up from the decorations they were trying to get right.

“Do you have any more of those brownies?” Nick asked, before side-eying Sabrina when she chuckled at the hopefulness in his voice.

“I’ll fix us all a plate of them,” Hilda assured as she rose. “Maybe with some lemonade?”

“That sounds great, Auntie,” Sabrina told her as she rose as well, depositing the flower arrangement onto the table with the others. 

“Be right back,” Hilda told the two before heading off to the kitchen. 

Nick headed over to where Sabrina stood, watching her mark off the list that Zelda had provided for the two of them, and set down the centerpiece he’d been tasked with completing. “How many more do we have to do?” he muttered, resting his chin against her shoulder as he looked down at the list. 

“Three more centerpieces and then we’re officially done for today.” She nearly dropped the clipboard when his arms wrapped around her, pulling her back against him. Sabrina let out a moan as he started kissing her neck, placing the list down on the table as she leaned back against him, arching her neck to give him better access. 

Nick took advantage of her shirt riding up a little, fingers seeking out the slight baring of her skin and slipping under her shirt. “I love how responsive you are,” he breathed out against her ear, causing her to squirm in his grip. 

“Nick,” she gasped out, eyes wide at his words.

“Especially when I’m barely even touching you,” he continued and she bit her lip as his fingers ghosted up her stomach, brushing against her ribs. 

She turned around, grasping hold of his shirt and yanked him forward, mouth pressing urgently against his, that need to have the upperhand overwhelming in that moment. It didn’t help that she felt him smiling before he kissed her back, his hands sliding up her back before moving down to smooth down her skirt. Sabrina tightened her grip on his shirt at that, edging her tongue in, wanting to taste more of him.

Nick lifted her up, setting her down onto the table behind them as he moved to fit in between her legs. He nipped at her bottom lip, enjoying the fierce look of determination in her gaze before she arched her neck and tugged on his shirt. He easily aqueised, dropping kisses along her jaw and back to her neck, smiling against her skin as she let out a happy sigh. 

The sound of a plate shattering against the floor, her Aunt Hilda sputtering had the two of them breaking apart and turning toward the older woman. “What in Lilith’s name is going on here?” Zelda demanded as she entered the room, glancing around at the decorations. “Please tell me you haven’t destroyed anything.”

Hilda was still staring at the two of them as Sabrina slid off the table and brushed down her shirt, trying to make sure it wasn’t as skewed as it had been moments before. Nick was working to do the same with his shirt. “Everything looks in order,” Zelda continued before looking back at her sister who was still standing there, eyes wide and looking over at her niece and Nicholas. “Well, what is it?”

Ambrose strode in, shaking his head at the mess on the floor before looking over at the two, winking. “I do believe you’ve got the beginnings of a nice hickey forming on your neck there, cousin.”

Sabrina pressed her hand to her neck, while Nick simply grinned. “Since--when--how-- _when_ ,” Hilda sputtered, motioning toward the two. 

Zelda arched a brow, taking in the two’s slightly disheveled appearances. “It’s rather about time,” she told them before motioning toward the decorations that still needed to be done. “But you have a task to complete, children. You can enjoy one another after you’ve finished that.”

“Zelda!” Hilda snapped, looking between everyone in the room. 

Her sister waved her hand, righting the dish and brownies and motioned for them to settle on the table. “Don’t worry, auntie. I made sure Sabrina knew the contraception spell ages ago,” Ambrose offered up, winking at his cousin who looked like she either wanted to throttle him or for the earth to swallow her whole. 

Hilda muttered something to herself as she headed out of the room. “Finish the decorations,” Zelda told the two, nodding toward the pieces they still needed to do on the table, before she left the room as well.

Ambrose snagged a brownie before he headed toward the door, making a production as he closed the door behind him, giving the two a thumbs up. “I hate my family,” Sabrina muttered as she leaned back against the table, poking Nick in the side when he had the audacity to chuckle. 

“Let’s get these things done,” Nick took hold of her hand, brushing his thumb against the back of it before tugging her toward the other table. 

Part of her was grateful that the only other gesture he offered up was a kiss to her forehead before he slid onto his chair and started to work on the centerpiece. Another part yearned for his touch, missing it already, but Sabrina pulled the flowers toward her. Time to focus on this ridiculousness and then, well, they’d see where the rest of the night took them.

* * *

Sabrina rubbed at her cheeks, certain her facial muscles were going to be sore from all of the smiling she’d had to do over the last few hours. Her feet ached and she couldn’t wait to get out of her heels and into something more comfortable, but that wouldn’t happen for several more hours with the gathering that was supposed to start up in the next half hour. 

“The two of you did a wonderful job,” Hilda told her and Nick as her family headed to the front door as well, the last of the Feast of Feasts guests still hanging around.

“Your fathers would both be very proud of you,” Zelda told them and Sabrina found herself standing a little taller at that bit of praise. It wasn’t something her aunt doled out often.

“I’m impressed you managed to make the speech interesting,” Ambrose commented, earning a chuckle from Nick who was leaning back against the door. 

“Though, did you really need to go on that rant about the feasts of the past?” Zelda shook her head at the two of them.

“That was my favorite part, auntie,” Ambrose offered up, grinning brightly in spite of the pointed look he was receiving.

“Some of your music choices were a bit much,” Zelda continued as she retrieved her coat.

“The younger crowd seemed to enjoy them,” Hilda told her as she started to button up her own.

“The clean up crew will be here in the morning, Nicholas,” Zelda told him as she worked to get her gloves on. “So don’t worry about the mess.”

“I’m sure you’re ready to get out of those heels and soak your feet,” Hilda commented to Sabrina, nodding toward her niece’s choice of heels.

“We actually have a gathering with the other witchlings to get to now,” Sabrina told her aunt, watching the worry that settled in Hilda’s eyes while Zelda arched a brow.

“And my generation was invited as well,” Ambrose added on, winking at Nick.

“For how long?” Hilda started, looking between the three younger ones.

“Should we be expecting you home tonight?” Zelda countered, and Ambrose shook his head.

“I have a feeling this will go into the wee hours of the morning, Aunt Zee,” he told her and Sabrina nodded along with that as Nick opened the door.

Zelda nodded, motioning for her sister to hurry up. “Try not to make too much noise when you return then. If you decide to stay here then just send a note so we know where you are.”

“But don’t think you have to stay here,” Hilda added, looking pointedly at Sabrina before glancing over at Nick. “Isn’t that right, Nicholas?”

“Of course,” he agreed, which seemed to ease Hilda’s worry enough for her to pat his cheek as she left the house with Zelda. 

“Let’s get these games started,” Ambrose rubbed his hands together, heading off toward the backyard where the others were already gathering.

“We’re going at your pace here, Sabrina,” Nick told her once the two of them were alone. “Don’t think you have to participate in anything.”

“I get to do them with you?” she asked, watching him carefully. Nick nodded and she took hold of his hand. “Then lead the way, Scratch. I trust you.”

She knew he wouldn’t lead her astray. If she didn’t want to do something then they wouldn’t. And while there were definitely some things she wasn’t ready for just yet, there was a lot that she did want to try out with him. 

Nick tugged her to him, wrapping his arm around her, needing to hold her close. He never thought those three words could affect him as much as they had in that moment. _I trust you_. He didn’t think she’d ever know how much they meant to him and he meant to ensure she always could do so with him. 

“Then let’s go have some fun.”

* * *

The energy was frenetic, thrumming through Sabrina’s veins as she watched some of the others playing around with their magic. Drinks were being passed around, cups easily refilled via spellwork as music played from somewhere. She’d been chatting to Lavina and Paige, laughing at something one of the girls had said while smiling over at Nick who was in the middle of a spell off with Gerald and Wade. 

He winked at her before she turned to see what other drinks were available.

Others were already breaking away from the main group, heading off to different areas of the house and grounds to find some sort of privacy and Sabrina could feel the ripple of sex magic flowing through the area. It stirred a desire inside of her, skin flushing at the sense of it around her as she surveyed the different drink options.

“What’s that saying?” Dorcas asked and Sabrina looked upward, hopeful that she wasn’t going to deal with all three of the Nights.

“Sharing is caring?” Agatha continued and Sabrina let out a sigh, pouring herself the sparkling pink concoction.

“Or are you planning on stifling poor Nicky now that you’ve got him where you want him?” Prudence asked as she stepped in front of her. “He’s over there, trifling around with a spell game that’s for children, instead of engaging in activities that he actually enjoys.”

“It’s not my fault you couldn’t keep his attention,” Sabrina replied before she could stop herself. She should have walked away, ignored the three and the poison they liked to spread. 

“And you think your little virgin act can?” Agatha laughed, arms crossed against her chest while Dorcas narrowed her eyes, growing redder by the minute. 

“I give it a month before he decides that you’re not worth it,” Prudence stated, before looking at her sisters. “Though that’s probably being generous.”

She knew what they were trying to do, felt that stirring of insecurity trying to rise up inside of her at their words, but Sabrina spotted Amalia off to the side, returning from her venture out that day. The wolf growled low as she approached the four and the other three stepped back, none wanting to be anywhere near the familiar’s jaws. 

Everyone knew that Amalia had no qualms with attacking anyone she considered a threat. 

It wasn't far enough for the wolf's liking though and she put herself between them and Sabrina, snapping at the three. Her ears were down, eyes yellowing as Sabrina moved, kneeling beside the familiar. She tentatively reached over, putting a hand on the back of the familiar’s head, hopeful that Amalia wouldn’t bite her. 

The touch caused Amalia to stop snapping, though she didn’t look away from the sisters. Slowly, Sabrina began stroking her hands through Amalia’s hair in an attempt to calm her down. The wolf was still much too tense for her liking, never taking her gaze off of the Weird Sisters and still looking ready to attack.

"They're not worth it," Sabrina murmured, as she rested her head against Amalia’s. 

Amalia let out a yip at that before pushing Sabrina with her muzzle, wanting her to head away from the three. “But nice try,” Sabrina told them as she headed off, Amalia walking beside her. 

Nick was at their side moments later, his gaze locked on the three Weird Sisters who were heading off. “Everything okay?” he asked as he reached down to pet Amalia while also taking hold of Sabrina’s hand. 

“Just the Weird Sisters being their usual annoying selves,” she assured him as he wrapped an arm around her waist. 

“Whatever they said…” he started, rubbing at the back of his neck, a million versions of what could have been discussed running through his mind.

Amalia left the two then, heading off into the house to rest.

“I know better than to listen to anything they say, Nick,” Sabrina pointed out, reaching up to brush her fingers along his cheek. “Especially when all they like to do is dole out discord everywhere they go.”

“They are gifted at that.” The ability enhanced by their Power of Three. 

“Besides, they don’t know you half as well as they think they do,” she told him as she stepped forward, hands sliding down his back and coming to rest in the back pockets of his pants.

“Oh?” He arched a brow. They’d never been shy about touching one another, but there was something exhilarating about being able to do so more freely now, none of the barriers of only being friends in the way. 

“Nope.” There was so much certainty in her voice and Nick grinned at it, noting the ferocity that seemed to encompass that one word as well. 

“Well, you are the one who knows me best of all,” he told her, thumb brushing against her lips. 

“And there’s still so many pieces that I’m learning,” she replied, causing him to suck in a breath when she gently bit down on his thumb. Sabrina looked up at him through her lashes, enjoying the way his gaze had darkened, desire pooling in her stomach and already beginning to fan out.   
“Kiss me.”

Nick didn’t hesitate, hand moving to tangle in her hair as he pressed his lips to hers. He wasn’t sure how he remembered to breathe, one kiss after the other as he tugged her closer, wanting the distance between them gone before he teleported them up to his bedroom. They were in the section of the house warded from the others, offering up some privacy as he walked them backward to the bed, never breaking contact for long even as he sat down on it. She followed him, coming to straddle his lap as their kisses got bolder, deeper, filling her with a hunger that Sabrina wasn’t sure could ever truly be quenched. 

He knew it wouldn’t go any further than that for the night, but it was enough to have her there with him, exploring the variety of kisses that seemed to spark throaty groans from her, tug out those gasps of pleasure that he’d only ever dreamed of hearing.


	11. invisible strings

“A lot of this seems to be things your dad has already begun implementing.” Nick flipped to the next page in his mother’s journal, looking through the tables she’d drawn as he absorbed the information.

“Hmmm?” Sabrina looked up from the book she was currently reading through as well. 

The two of them were in her bedroom, taking up space on the floor while their familiars had taken over the bed. Amalia was attempting to sleep across the bottom of it while Salem occupied the top, batting a feather back and forth that he’d procured from one of the pillows. 

“Are you sure you don’t want any snacks?” Hilda asked as she popped her head back into the room, looking the two of them over. 

“We’re fine, Auntie,” Sabrina assured her again, watching as the older witch nodded and headed off again. No doubt she’d show up in another few minutes with some fresh new excuse to be in her bedroom. Funny how this hadn’t happened at all every other time Nick had been in her room before. 

“Do you think she’s ever going to trust me again?” Nick asked and Sabrina looked back over at him, noting his frown. 

“She trusts you,” Sabrina told him as she reached over, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “Us dating is just new to her and in conflict with her whole not wanting me to ‘grow up too fast’ stance.”

“Did she constantly come to check on you when Harvey was over here?” Nick asked, and Sabrina tried not to laugh at how deeply he pouted. He knew Hilda had liked their mortal friend, thought he was sweet and innocent, but he’d thought that Hilda had always liked him too.

“Well, Harvey wasn’t ever in my bedroom for any real length of time,” Sabrina replied, rolling her eyes as Nick’s pout turned quickly into a smirk.

“Guess I’m just extra lucky then,” he murmured as he leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. 

“What were you saying before she came in?” Sabrina pushed him away, intent on getting through the books they’d picked to read before engaging in anything else with him.

"A lot of the stuff in this journal are things that your dad has already implemented,” Nick repeated, handing over the book. “Witches and warlocks having equal footing, relationships with mortal communities.”

Sabrina looked through it, taking note of his mother’s comparison tables and the notes she’d made in the margins of the tables. “Most of what we think about for witches and mortals of the past is what occurred in the last few hundred years,” Nick continued as he picked up another of the journals. “The hunts and trials, which ended up mostly killing mortals but had our communities pushing into the shadows and separating even further from the relationships that had been formed.”

“Ambrose thinks the Anti Papacy actually helped instigate those trials and hunts,” Sabrina murmured. Her cousin could go on a lengthy rant about his conspiracy theories about the Anti Papacy. 

“He might not be wrong,” Nick told her and she looked up at that. 

“Why would they do that?” Sabrina frowned. It had almost been better when she thought it had just been Ambrose’s crazy theories than for there to be some truth to it.

“My mom thought it was a way for them to bind the covens even more to their ideals and ways, to give themselves more power and dole it out to those who helped perpetuate their beliefs,” Nick told her, finding one of the entries in the current journal that his mother had written about her beliefs, noting evidence she’d uncovered through other’s retellings of events in the past.

Sabrina scooted over so she could look at those pages too, her frown deepening as she took note of the various accounts Victoria Scratch had managed to come across. “I just don’t understand because we live for so long. Why didn’t others notice these things happening?”

“I’d say your father and mine did, but a lot of the others might have been too scared to notice or maybe it benefited them,” Nick pointed out as he picked up another journal. “And some did. Don’t forget that a lot of the other sects that tried to branch off of the Anti Papacy were either destroyed or have hidden themselves really well.”

“But your mom and you found them,” Sabrina looked over at him, watching as he nodded. “That’s what you guys did together when you weren’t here, right?”

“Yeah.” Nick drew in a breath as he set the journal down. It was still hard to talk about her at times but Sabrina was one of the few he would allow himself to do so with. She’d known his mother and had been the one who had helped him the most after his mother’s death. He didn’t think she really knew just how much she’d helped him. 

“Her name went a long way with others. And your family's name does too,” Nick continued, though his mother’s went further with some of the more matriarchal sects. “She’d been doing the trips long before I was born and she never revealed where she found anyone. No matter who asked.”

“Does that mean you know where they are?” Sabrina asked but Nick shook his head.

“No. She was the one who teleported us around. I didn’t learn teleportation until after she…” He swallowed, chest tightening as the weight of her death came crashing down all over again. Sabrina’s hand quickly found his, squeezing his tightly as he leaned against her.

“Your dad joined us a few times though and so did my father,” Nick told her as they leaned back against the bed. “But I think it was easier for most to trust a lone witch than powerful warlocks. Even easier when she had a child with her.”

“I remember she was really angry one time when you guys came back one summer,” Sabrina murmured after a moment, looking down at their joined hands.

Nick remembered that summer all too well. It had been the angriest he’d ever seen his mother. “One of the covens had been destroyed.”

“Destroyed?” she hoped that didn’t mean what she thought it did.

“They were all dead, Sabrina.” Murdered and every magical item in their homes had been stripped clean.

“Was it the Anti Papacy?” Sabrina moved back a bit, wanting to be able to look at him better.

Nick sighed, remembering those long nights of arguments that his father and mother had over the fate of that coven. “She couldn’t prove it but that’s what they all thought.”

“I’m a huge blight on their beliefs, aren’t I?” Sabrina’s voice was so quiet that he barely heard her at first. She’d pulled away, staring off at the wall. “Mortal mother _and_ I have power.”

“You have a lot of power,” Nick agreed. “More than a lot of the others in our coven.”

“No wonder they want me dead.” Her shoulders drooped at the idea of it and Nick moved, cupping her cheeks with his hands.

“Hey,” he started, not liking the worry mixed with anger that he saw in her gaze.

“Everything they sent would have killed me if I didn’t have magic.” The creatures had only gotten progressively more powerful. Part of her worried what the fire one would be. And their fathers were out somewhere in the world trying to deal with an organization that killed whole covens without a second thought.

She clasped her hands over top of Nick’s, finally looking at him. “Why aren’t they back yet?”

“They’ll be here as soon as they can,” Nick told her, pulling her to him so he could wrap his arms tightly around her. 

Sabrina curled against him, hugging him tightly back as she pressed her face into his neck. He was murmuring soothing words to her, reminding her of how powerful and thorough both of their dads were, trying to reassure her that they were alright.

“I just want them home.” It had been over the week and a half her father had estimated. 

“So do I.” Nick pressed a kiss to her head as best he could manage. “They’re two of the most powerful warlocks on Earth, Sabrina. I’m sure they’re just making sure the problem is thoroughly dealt with.”

She closed her eyes, nodding as she eased into the comfort he was so readily offering her. Sabrina had wondered if they would still be able to do this when every other touch he doled out to her was like lightning reverberating through her skin, setting all of her nerve endings on fire. But now it was soothing, his presence as calming as he’d always been for her, that undercurrent of desire still there but overshadowed by the rock he’d always been for her. 

Hilda peeked in again, mouth quickly shutting as she spotted the two and took in the reassurances that Nick was offering up. Quietly, she backed out of the room, making sure to shut the door as silently as she could manage, giving the two the privacy they deserved.

* * *

“Tell me again that money is good and that I need money,” Theo groaned as he sunk down onto one of the chairs at Cerberus Books. The elf outfit that he was wearing jingled and he tossed the hat down onto the table, letting out another groan as the bells on it made some noise.

“I’m pretty sure money is the root of all evil,” Roz offered up as she handed over his mug of hot cocoa.

He glared over at her before blowing on the hot beverage. “Not helpful, Roz.”

“What are you trying to save up for anyway?” Sabrina asked as she sat down on one of the other chairs. Nick was waiting around for the gingerbread snack at the counter and Harvey had already said his goodbyes, needing to get ready for his date with Helena.

“I want to get my dad a good Christmas present,” Theo told them and the other two nodded at that. “He never really gets himself anything besides new shirts, pants, socks and underwear.”

“So the basics,” Roz offered up, not surprised that seemed to be all Mr. Putnam bothered getting. He seemed to have pretty simple tastes.

“He says it's all he needs.” Theo glanced over at Sabrina. “Besides your aunt’s cookies.”

“I’ll be doling those out next week,” Sabrina assured him before taking a sip of her chocolate peppermint cocoa. “Any idea what you want to get him?”

Theo nodded, sitting up a little taller and finally smiling again. “Uncle Jesse says they used to be in a band together in high school.”

“ _Your_ dad was in a band?” Nick asked as he joined the group, handing out the cookies to everyone.

Theo snorted, unsurprised by his friends’ disbelief. “I didn’t believe it either but Uncle Jesse has the photos to prove it but apparently my dad sold the guitar to get my mom’s engagement ring. So I’m thinking of getting him a guitar. I found one that I should be able to afford after two more weeks of this ridiculousness.”

“That’s really sweet, Theo,” Sabrina told him, offering up a smile and he nodded, pretty proud of himself over his plan.

“Just keep reminding me it's worth it after I deal with all of the little kids every day after school and all weekend long,” he looked around at his friends, waiting for all of them to nod. 

“You’ve got this,” Roz assured him, while Nick leaned forward, offering up a fist bump. 

“But speaking of dads, any idea when your guys’ are going to be back?” Theo asked, nodding toward Sabrina and Nick. 

He didn’t like how Sabrina’s shoulders drooped, but it seemed to help when Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze. “Have you talked to them?” Roz asked, looking sympathetically toward her bestie.

“They checked in yesterday,” Nick told them while Sabrina’s frown only deepened.

“ _Finally_ checked in,” she grumbled, biting her gingerbread’s head off. 

“That’s good though, right?” Roz persisted, watching her friend place the rest of the cookie back down on the plate.

Nick sighed, moving his hand up and down Sabrina’s back, trying to help center her again. “They weren’t exactly forthcoming with any real information,” he replied and the other two nodded. “But they’re okay and that’s what matters. Right, Spellman?”

Sabrina sighed, though she leaned against him. “Yeah.” She was just frustrated with how little they’d been told, knew her aunts weren’t overly happy with the lack of details as well. 

“I can’t believe we only have two more weeks and school is done for the year,” Theo offered up, having a feeling Sabrina was ready for a change in topic. She smiled gratefully at him before arching a brow.

“You mean until January,” she pointed out but he shook his head, holding up a hand.

“Let me enjoy my fantasy of it being finished for the year,” he told her, causing the others to laugh.

“What’s everyone’s plans for the break?” Roz asked, knowing they only had a little bit longer before they’d need to head off. “I know Harvey’s heading to the cottage with his grandpa for at least one week. And we’re doing the big old Walker family thing that we always have.”

“My Uncle Jesse is coming back to town.” Theo knew his father would be happy to have his brother around. Plus Jesse usually brought back some interesting items to share from his travels. 

“We’ve got Yule to celebrate with ours,” Sabrina looked over at Nick. “A few ceremonies with our covens and then just some family ones until New Years.”

 _Hopefully_ their fathers would be back by then. Her father had always made sure he was around for Yule and Sabrina really didn’t want this to be the first year he couldn’t attend it. 

“Are you still staying at Sabrina’s?” Roz asked, looking between Nick and her friend. 

Nick nodded. “Yeah, the aunts didn’t like the idea of me staying on my own without an end date in sight.” Not with there having been no real solution to whatever problem they still weren’t filling them in on. 

“Is Hilda still being…” Roz paused, trying to think of the right words for it. 

“Popping into any room we’re in every few minutes?” Sabrina offered up as she rolled her eyes at her aunt’s antics. 

“She actually stopped doing that earlier this week,” Nick told them and Sabrina pressed a kiss to his cheek, knowing a weight had lifted from his shoulders when that had ceased.

The cautiousness that Hilda had developed around him after walking in on him and Sabrina during the decoration fiasco seemed to have disappeared as well, reverting back to the almost motherly behavior that she’d previously doled out to him. He wasn’t sure what had changed, but he was thankful to have things back to something closer to normal with Hilda. 

Theo’s phone beeped and he let out a groan. “I have to get to going.” 

“We believe in you,” Roz told him as they all started to rise.

“Be the best little elf you can be,” Sabrina grinned at him, shaking her head as he glared at them before waving goodbye. 

“I need to get to my Grams.” Roz was already wrapping the scarf around her and working to get her gloves on.

“And we should head over to the theater so you don’t complain about missing the previews,” Nick suggested, moving out of Sabrina’s reach as she tried to elbow him. “Yes, I know. They’re an important part of the movie going experience.”

“See if I’m sharing my popcorn with you,” Sabrina eyed him before reaching over to hug Roz goodbye. 

“Just make sure you don’t look at him so his pout can’t sway you,” Roz murmured, grinning at Nick who pressed a hand to his chest, giving her a pained look. “See you guys tomorrow.”

She shook her head as she left, listening to their playful banter until she exited the shop, the scent of snow hanging in the air. Hopefully December would manage to be a little less dramatic than November and October had been.

* * *

Sabrina had used to love dreaming, back when she woke up barely remembering anything that happened in them. Some images or thoughts from them might linger for a few moments, but none of them had ever been as vivid as the ones that had started up after the first day of school that year. She’d hoped this one would be another including Nick, but the rolling fog that had blanketed the Greendale woods as she walked through it let her know it wasn’t going to be like that.

She’d thought she was finished with these after her Dark Baptism, hadn’t had a single one that had her feeling on edge since a few days before it, but the uneasiness returned as she pushed through the underbrush. Sabrina didn’t know where she was headed, the woods familiar and yet not in equal measure. There were figures outside of the fog that had risen up around her, black silhouettes moving about but not making a move toward her. She couldn’t tell if they were human or not, but didn’t like the way they watched her. 

Rubbing at her arms, she continued to step forward, grateful that at least this time she wasn’t seeing her mother. The torches that suddenly lit up, creating a path for her to follow through the darkness had her stopping though, not sure she trusted going any further. She still couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her, didn’t like the flames that danced along the path that she’d never seen before in the woods that she called home.

The whispers started as soon as she refused to step a foot further, nonsensical at first with all of them happening at the same time. She vaguely recognized voices, but couldn’t quite figure out who they were, everything still blending together. 

Her mother’s scream erupted through the night, causing Sabrina to freeze as Diana’s voice cut through the air, silencing the others. 

“Edward, where are you?”

Sabrina turned toward her mother’s pleas, trying to figure out which direction they were coming from. She didn’t expect to hear her father’s cries next. 

“I’m coming, Diana.”

The desperation in her father’s voice sliced through Sabrina, a baby’s cry echoing through the forest next, followed by Diana’s pleas for her daughter. More voices joined the chorus of cries, ones that Sabrina had never heard before, one right after the other. 

“Only one can live.”

“But not both.”

“A balance must be kept.”

The fog parted and Sabrina gasped as she saw her mother laying before the stone altar, her father and aunties surrounding her. Her father was cradling a tiny bundle as her mother’s breath came out in shallow breaths. The aunties shook their head as her father looked at them, looking devastated over what was happening. 

“Protect our baby,” Diana murmured, reaching out to touch the baby’s cheek one last time. “Our little miracle.”

She woke up gasping for air, tears streaming down her face as she kicked at the covers. Salem yowled beside her, echoing her emotions and trying to get her to calm down at the same time. Sabrina wasn’t sure who got to her first, hearing her family’s and Nick’s voices as her bedroom door opened. She smelled her Aunt Zelda’s hand cream, felt her aunt’s arms pull her tightly to her and Sabrina sank into the hug, letting herself sob. 

Zelda waved the rest of them off, ready to handle the situation on her own. She settled back against the pillows, pulling Sabrina with her and gently brushed her fingers through her niece’s hair, much as she’d done when the girl was younger. The others slowly left, all heading back to their bedrooms, but Zelda arched a brow as Amalia remained, watching as the wolf rounded the bed before jumping up onto it. She gave the familiar a pointed look, but Amalia simply laid down, keeping her gaze on Sabrina. 

“I thought the dreams were supposed to stop after my baptism,” Sabrina murmured after a bit, her breath coming out in small hiccups every so often.

“That’s often the case,” Zelda replied, shifting a bit so Sabrina could draw Salem to her chest. At least the little beast ceased his constant meowing once she’d done so. 

“What’s the balance?” Sabrina asked, reaching over to stroke her hand through Amalia’s fur. 

“Balance?” Zelda wasn’t too sure what her niece meant.

Sabrina relayed the dream to her, watching her aunt’s face to try and determine anything she might be able to from her changing expressions. All she saw was confusion though. “Someone said something about balance.”

“There wasn’t anyone there but your father, mother, me and Hilda, Sabrina,” Zelda told her, lips pressing together as she tried to figure out what any of the dreams could have meant.

“She called me their miracle. My mom.” Salem purred at that, the sound helping to calm her a bit. 

“They had tried for several years to have you,” Zelda reminded her, knowing Edward had told the girl as much. “Since your father received the Dark Lord’s blessing to build what he has here.”

“But they couldn’t?” Sabrina frowned. 

“No.” Zelda shifted a bit so the two of them were both sitting. “Your mother was infertile.”

“Then how?” How did she even exist?

“There are ways with spells and other magics to help with such a case,” Zelda told her, reaching over to brush back a stray lock of Sabrina’s hair. “But your father went to the Dark Lord and he blessed them.”

Sabrina frowned, not liking the brief annoyance that had flashed in her aunt’s eyes. “What does that mean?”

“Only your father knows the answer to that,” Zelda replied. “But remember, magic is a powerful thing, Sabrina. It allowed for her to have you.”

“But not to live.”Sabrina sighed, brow furrowing as she thought of it all. “It's not fair.”

“Very little is in life,” Zelda reminded her before drawing her back to her. Sabrina easily curled up against her aunt, Salem tucking himself into her side. There were no more words to be said, and while Sabrina didn’t particularly want to sleep again, she found herself drifting as her aunt’s fingers brushed through her hair. 

Thankfully, Zelda helped keep any further dreams away, only leaving the room once she was certain there would be no more incidents that night. She wasn’t surprised to find Nick sitting on the floor outside of her niece’s bedroom, looking worriedly at the door. He rose as she exited and Zelda patted his shoulder, before nodding for him to proceed forward, a small smile tugging her lips as she watched him head into Sabrina’s bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him. 

She’d seen a similar sort of devotion before in her brother regarding Diana and even in Nicholas’ own parents.

Hopefully this one wouldn’t end in tragedy as well.

* * *

Sabrina stretched as she woke, not feeling Salem or Amalia by her side any longer. The sun was shining through her window, lighting up her room and letting her know it was later in the morning than she usually wound up waking. Tendrils of her dream still echoed in her mind, but the images weren’t as fresh as they had been when she’d woken hours earlier. Sabrina had no intention on tugging them forward to review just yet. 

“I was wondering if you’d make it to lunch before rousing,” Ambrose commented and Sabrina turned, finding her cousin laying on her bed and flipping through a book. 

She didn’t reply to him right away, shuffling a bit on the bed so that she was curled up next to him. He wrapped an arm around her, drawing her in closer before resting his cheek against her head for a moment. She blinked as she spotted Nick asleep on her chair across from her bed, one of her extra blankets draped over him.

“He apparently fell asleep there after Auntie Zee left,” Ambrose informed her, and Sabrina smiled softly at the idea of that. “Don’t think he wanted you to be alone.” 

She wondered who had put the quilt on him. “What are you looking through?” Sabrina turned her attention toward the book, arching a brow when she realized it was the familiar registry.

“I think it's time I get a new familiar,” Ambrose replied, flipping to a new page. 

“What was your first one?” It was startling to realize she didn’t already know the answer to that one. She didn’t think he’d ever mentioned his familiar to her before.

“Nagaina,” Ambrose’s voice was strained as he answered and Sabrina wrapped an arm around him, wanting to hug him. “She was a cobra.”

“Can’t you get her back?” She knew he hadn’t been allowed to have her during his house arrest but surely, now that he was off of it he could get her returned to him.

It took her a moment to realize that her cousin’s hands were shaking slightly at that, the book placed to the side as he leaned back against the bed frame, pulling her with him. Sabrina didn’t push, waiting for him to answer, but she noted that Salem had moved with them, butting his head into Ambrose’s stomach. 

“They killed her, Sabrina.”

She pulled away at that, looking down at her cousin who was staring up at the ceiling. “What?” 

She knew they died if their witch or warlock did, rarely lasting more than a few days after their passing, but it seemed unfathomable that someone would deliberately kill one. “They were going to kill me as well before Uncle Edward intervened, removing me from their jurisdiction and into his custody,” Ambrose continued, tugging her back down to him. 

He didn’t like the look of horror he’d seen come over her, followed by that look she seemed to get whenever she thought some injustice had been done. Ambrose could practically see the wheels in her head turning as she silently worked to plot a way to make things right. There was no way to do that though, not without putting her directly in a line of fire that he never wanted her anywhere near. 

“We didn’t think it was a good idea for you to know the whole truth when you were little,” Ambrose murmured as Salem appeared. He pushed at Sabrina, demanding to be held in order to help quell her inner fury.

“Do you want a snake again?” she asked after a moment, stroking her familiar’s fur. The thought of someone killing him was something she didn’t want to try and fully comprehend, blotting it from her mind.

Ambrose shook his head. “Maybe a ferret this time.”

“I think you’d do good with a ferret,” Sabrina murmured as he reached over, rubbing Salem’s head.

“Though I quite enjoy cats now,” he replied, chuckling as Salem purred. “But I think one is enough for this household, little troublemaker.” Sabrina laughed at Salem’s indignant meow to that. 

They looked over as Nick let out a groan, rubbing at the kink in his neck as he stirred. “Not the best place for sleeping,” Ambrose called out, watching as the younger warlock turned to look at them.

“I’m noticing,” he grumbled, still rubbing at his muscles before his gaze fell on Sabrina. She offered up a smile at the concern she saw in his gaze.

“I’m okay,” she assured him as Ambrose rose from the bed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before he exited the room. 

Nick moved to sit down on the bed and Sabrina pushed herself up, sitting cross legged so she could look at him better. Salem hopped off and followed after her cousin, intent on finding some food. “Next time you can get in the bed,” Sabrina continued and Nick snorted at that even as he reached over to take her hand.

“Hilda just started treating me normally again,” he reminded her, grinning as she rolled her eyes. “Wanna talk about it?”

Sabrina shook her head. “Later,” she promised, not ready to drudge up the images again. 

Nick nodded toward the door as he brushed his free hand against her cheek, lips tugging into a smile as she closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. “We should probably head downstairs because I’m starving.”

She was ready to protest that when they heard her aunt’s voice calling them down for breakfast. “We wouldn’t want you to get on her bad side again,” Sabrina reasoned with a sigh.

“I was never on her _bad_ side,” Nick protested as they rose, keeping hold of her hand. She paused in the middle of her doorway, tilting her head back and forth as if contemplating that, and he narrowed his eyes, tugging her back toward him. “I wasn’t.”

“If you say so,” Sabrina murmured, trying to keep her expression serious but her lips twitched and Nick flicked his fingers back between his eyes and hers, letting her know he was watching her before they headed down to breakfast together.

* * *

“You want us to feel each other’s magic again.” Sabrina looked around the same room they had used last time, noting that Nick had already moved the tables out of the way and even put a blanket down for them to sit on this time around.

“Mmmhmm.” He didn’t look over at her as he set the candles down around the blanket. 

“I don’t think it's going to feel any different than the last time.” Sabrina wrinkled her nose as he arched a brow at her, clearly disagreeing.

“I don’t know about that,” Nick told her and she wasn’t sure if she liked his smug little smile or not.

“What makes you think it's going to feel any different?” she asked, instantly regretting it when he winked at her. 

“Well, you’re not trying to deny that you think I’m sexy anymore,” he started and Sabrina scoffed at that.

“Who says I think you’re sexy?” She tried not to grin as he narrowed his eyes, rising from the floor. “I don’t believe I’ve ever said that.”

“You like my abs,” Nick replied, recalling one of their earlier conversations.

She shrugged, trying to play it off as not a big deal from where she was still perched on the teacher’s desk. “That’s not the same as sexy.”

Sabrina pressed her lips together as he moved over to her, settling himself between her legs as he pressed his palms onto the table. The laugh that was threatening to bubble out of her quickly turned into a moan as he brushed his mouth against hers before nipping her bottom lip. His forehead pressed against hers, hands coming up to rest on her hips, thumb brushing along the material of her shirt. 

“Not sexy, huh?” he murmured as she let out a happy little sigh.

“Maybe I just think you’re a good kisser,” she started before tugging him forward so she could kiss him. 

“Come on, Spellman,” Nick stepped back from her, enjoying her pout before he nodded toward the blanket. “You can have your way with me after we’ve done this.”

Sabrina reluctantly slid off the desk, following him over to the setup and settled down cross legged on the blanket opposite him. She snapped her fingers, easily lighting all of the candles he’d set out for them. “Someone’s eager,” Nick murmured before he held out his hands.

“I’m going first,” she told him, scrunching her nose at his amused look.

“Feel free to take charge,” he replied, winking at her as she took hold of his hands. 

Sabrina closed her eyes as she threaded their fingers together, releasing the power that seemed to constantly whirl inside of her. She didn’t expect for Nick to release his as well as soon as she did, eyes widening as she felt his brush against hers while her own reached out to engulf him. It was like his fingers were gliding over every inch of her, caressing her skin in ways they hadn’t quite gotten to do yet and Sabrina tightened her grip on him, seeing the desire she was feeling echoed in his gaze.

She pushed forward first, forgetting about the task at hand and kissed him hard, seeking to deepen the kiss as they let go of one another’s hands. She slid her fingers through his hair, tightening in his curls as he drew her onto his lap. Their power swirled around them, pushing at each other as they pressed their foreheads together to catch their breaths. 

It didn’t take long for her to push him down against the floor, never quite taking a break from kissing him as his hands slid up and down her back. She rolled her tongue against his, stoking the fire that so easily kindled between them. She tugged on his hair and their power stopped swirling, mixing together into something new as she bared her neck to Nick, letting out a moan as he nipped at her skin. 

A blinding light flashed out at that, causing the entirety of Baxter High to shake and the two of them to pull slightly apart. They watched as their combined magic pulsated around them, sending another shockwave through the school, the fire alarm sounding and sprinklers all coming on at once. 

Sabrina pulled hers back in, feeling Nick do the same before they looked over at one another. There were voices in the hallway as everyone started filing out of the classrooms, the sound of someone checking the empty classrooms causing the two to hurriedly collect their items.

Lockers were toppled in different directions, papers and books strewn across the floor, the lights dangling from the ceiling as the water rained down.

Nick found her hand, giving it a squeeze as they joined up with the groups heading through the hallways, ignoring the murmured questions that were echoing around them. Sabrina swallowed as they headed outside, spotting the crack in the field behind Baxter high. 

Had they caused that?

Nick shook his head as she turned to look at him. They’d need to talk about what happened later.

* * *

“Did you feel it?” Hilda asked as Sabrina and Nick entered the mortuary’s kitchen. 

They had come looking for some snacks to eat while doing their homework, spying the plate of various cookies that her aunt had been baking throughout the day. Sabrina glanced over at Nick, wondering if her aunt meant the shaking that they’d caused. Surely it hadn’t reached all the way out to the mortuary.

“We felt it over at Dorian’s,” Ambrose told her, kissing Hilda’s cheek in greeting before he snagged a sugar cookie shaped like a snowflake. “Knocked all of the bottles off his shelves. _Thankfully_ he has them all spelled to not break.”

“It brought down one of the trees out back,” Hilda nodded toward the back of the house as Zelda entered the room. 

“And caused the top stone on the altar to slide off,” Zelda informed them as she took her usual seat, taking the cup of tea that her sister had prepared for her. 

Sabrina snagged a cookie, quickly biting into it so she wouldn’t have to answer. “It set off the fire alarm at school,” Nick supplied, before picking up one as well.

“It’s being looked into,” Zelda replied as she looked through the cookies, trying to pick out the one she wanted. “Though considering Riverdale felt it as well, I’m sure it was a standard earthquake. Doesn’t hurt to be thorough though.”

“We should get started on that history project if we want to finish it tonight,” Nick suggested as he picked up a few more cookies and Sabrina followed suit, heading out of the room with him. 

She glanced behind her as they exited into the living room, thankful that her aunts were already occupied with their own conversation but she spotted her cousin’s arched brow, knowing he’d be on their heels at any moment. 

They entered her father’s study and Sabrina sank down onto one of the chairs. Nick raised a brow, not sure why she looked so glum before Ambrose strode in the room, closing the door behind him.

“What did the two of you do now?”

“I think we caused the earthquake,” Sabrina started and Ambrose looked between the two of them, watching as his cousin glanced at the younger warlock. 

“Technically it wasn’t actually an earthquake,” Nick offered up as he sat down on the chair beside Sabrina. “More of a shockwave that might have turned into something like one.”

She snorted at that, clearly unimpressed with the differentiation.

“How did you create a shockwave?” Ambrose asked, wondering what foolish spell the two had decided to try.

“We combined our powers,” Nick told him and Ambrose arched a brow.

“I’ve never heard of utilizing two magics together creating a shockwave,” he mused as he sat down on the edge of her father’s desk.

“No, we didn’t bolster each other with our powers,” Nick started and Sabrina nodded along with that.

“We made something new with them,” she added, remembering the white light that they’d managed to create. 

“Like a chemical reaction when you mix two things and something brand new is created,” Nick tried to explain and Ambrose’s eyes widened as he looked between the two of them.

“That’s not possible.” In some circles it was even considered heresy to try to do so.

“Except for the fact we did it,” Sabrina murmured, shrugging her shoulders as her cousin sighed.

“It’s talked about in a few of the older texts,” Nick pointed out but Ambrose was shaking his head, knowing the one’s he was referring to. 

“ _Theoretically_ talked about,” Ambrose reminded as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “How exactly did you combine them?”

“We’ve been working on feeling each other’s magic,” Sabrina started, glancing over at Nick to try and explain their reasoning. It had been his theory.

“We figured that would be the best way to start so that we’d be comfortable with it and recognize it in various scenarios,” Nick filled in Ambrose, watching as the older warlock nodded at that.

“And then it just kind of happened,” Sabrina added, not particularly wanting to get into what they’d been doing when the magic had changed.

“Magic doesn’t just _happen_ to create something new, cousin,” Ambrose sighed, looking between the two of them. Between Sabrina’s stubborn expression and Nick’s smug one he had a pretty good idea what they’d been engaging in when the magic had shifted. “And you were at the high school?” 

He didn’t think his cousin had it in her.

Sabrina rolled her eyes at the proud look he directed toward her. “Might be a good idea not to practice this new ability of yours there, hmm?” Ambrose continued, dodging the kick she tried to direct at his shin. “Why this idea though?”

“It’s for our independent study,” Nick explained, shrugging. “We wanted to see if we could manage it.”

“Now you just need to figure out how to control it if you try it again,” Ambrose started as he pushed off the desk. “Knowing you two troublemakers, you definitely will be.” 

He ruffled Sabrina’s hair as he exited the room and she let out a sigh. “He’s not wrong,” she murmured as the door closed. She tucked her legs to the side, curling up on the chair. “Because we’re definitely trying it again and we don’t want to cause the damage we did again.”

“Might be a good idea to set up a protection circle the next time we try it,” Nick suggested as he reached over, taking hold of her hand. He brushed his thumb against the back of it before giving a squeeze. “And maybe go out to the woods.”

“How did it feel to you?” Sabrina asked, looking over at their joined hands.

“Freeing,” Nick paused, trying to come up with the other feeling that had stirred in him as their magic had enveloped the two of them. 

“Like coming home,” she breathed out and he looked over at her, nodding slowly. 

That was it exactly. 

Freedom and home wrapped all in one.

An easy silence fell between them as they both contemplated what that meant, keeping a tight hold on one another’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is everyone ready for part four airing in like...four days? I am not and also want it to happen NOW. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading and commenting to tell me what you think and your theories and things! I love reading them. 
> 
> Next chapter (which won't come out until after part 4): Some Yule traditions, Fright Club exchanging presents, Nick and Sabrina have a moment together, another dream, and the fathers finally return home.


	12. sweet love of mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to post this soon, but then part 4 happened and well, it felt like we all needed some happiness.
> 
> If you're not one who likes to read anything explicit between characters, once Sabrina and Nick head to Nick's house skip ahead to the next section!

“How many of these did you make, Spellman?” Nick took out another carefully wrapped ornament from the box in his lap, offering it up to Sabrina. 

She was contemplating the best spot on the newly acquired Yule tree for it to go while Hilda busied herself working to put up bits of holly around the living room. He didn’t think he’d ever seen so many handmade ornaments in his life, standing out from the whites and reds of the other far older ones that were more familiar to him. His family hadn’t had a Yule tree since he was very young, but he remembered seeing a few of them on his travels with his mother in other witches’ houses. 

“It’s tradition for us to do one each year,” Hilda explained to him as Sabrina finally settled on where she wanted the current ornament to go. “Well, Sabrina and I do anyway. You’re welcome to join us in making our ones for this year.”

“It's something my mom had planned to do with me,” Sabrina told him as she turned around, ready to be handed the next one. 

“Her family used to make them when she was little,” Hilda reached over, patting Sabrina’s shoulder before she retrieved another bit of holly to set up on the mantle. “And then we did them every year she was in this house.”

Sabrina sat down on the floor by Nick and pulled over another of the boxes. “These ones were my mom’s.” There were some from throughout Diana Spellman’s life and Nick noticed that Sabrina had tried to copy a few of them throughout the years, making a gingerbread shaped one at the same age her mother had, adding photographs in painted wreaths at other times with the year in glitter. 

“You really do look like her,” he murmured, putting one of Diana at five beside the one of Sabrina at the same age. Their noses were different and the eyes weren’t quite the same, but there was no denying that they were mother and daughter. 

“Do you have any that you want to put on the tree?” Sabrina asked him before taking the two ornaments from him so she could figure out where she wanted to hang them.

“I don’t even know where my father keeps them,” Nick admitted. He wasn’t sure they had them any longer. “The last Yule we did with my mother in Greendale was when I was seven and after that he always met us wherever we were at. So we didn’t really decorate for it.” They had usually been guests of one coven or another or taking a brief respite in the Unholy Lands. “I remember her baking a lot though and helping her with that.”

“Baking is an integral part of the festival,” Hilda commented and Sabrina nodded along with that. “You’re welcome to help with that here as well.”

“You’re going to get sick of how many baked goods there are,” Sabrina warned him as Hilda turned away to grab some more decorations.

Nick arched a brow at that. “Not possible.”

“You say that now, but don’t come complaining to me when your pants start getting tighter,” Sabrina replied, lips twitching with amusement and Nick tugged her down to him, enjoying the laughter that bubbled out of her before he slowly kissed her. 

He kept it light, not wanting to make Hilda uncomfortable, but unable to help showcasing how grateful he was to be part of this tradition with her. With _all_ of the Spellmans. It meant the world to him for Sabrina and her family to include him. 

“That reminds me I need to figure out where to put the mistletoe,” Hilda commented, causing the two to laugh before they glanced over at her, watching as she happily hummed to herself, not paying them any mind while she sorted through the boxes. 

“Let’s finish this tree, Scratch,” Sabrina told him as she pushed herself up, holding her hand out for the next ornament. 

“And then we can start on baking,” Nick murmured, grinning up at her as he handed her another ornament, enjoying the slight shake of her head before she focused on the task at hand. 

Nick leaned back, watching her single-minded focusedness take effect. He loved watching her in this mode, the precision she seemed to take on whatever task she was trying to complete, all of that passion and interest locked onto one thing. He’d found it endlessly fascinating when they were younger and Edward was teaching them some new spell. Half the time Nick had found himself watching her instead of the warlock, seeing her brow furrow as she worked to memorize everything that she was told to do. Her frustration over not getting something precisely right had also been entertaining but that was because she’d usually accidentally set something on fire and then look apologetically over at her father who couldn’t seem to be angry with her.

It was slightly amazing that the mortuary hadn’t burned down years ago. 

“What’s so interesting?” Sabrina asked as she turned around, arching a brow as she took in his look before he handed her the last ornament.

“You.” 

She snorted at that before her gaze softened, seeing no sign of teasing or flirtation from him. Sabrina blew him a kiss before looking down at the last ornament. It was a small framed ornament that had a photograph of a baby her and her father in it. She was pretty sure it was her first Yule. Her hands shook as she looked at it, brushing her finger across her father’s face. 

Nick rose, wrapping his arms around her as she placed the ornament on the tree. “They’ll be back in time,” he murmured, hugging her tightly. “They’ve still got almost a week before Winter Solstice.”

Sabrina nodded as she placed her arms over his, hoping he was right. “Let’s go get started on your first homemade ornament,” she suggested as she leaned back against him. 

Nick pressed a kiss to her shoulder before letting her go, his hand finding hers to hold. “Sounds like a plan.”

* * *

School was officially over for the rest of the year, leaving Cerberus Books fuller than it usually would be on a Thursday afternoon. Thankfully Hilda had already snagged their group one of the back booths, decorating it with extra holly and tinsel and making sure they had a heaping plate of winter themed sugar cookies to go with their mugs of hot cocoa. 

“I can’t believe we won’t see one another until after the new year,” Sabrina looked around at her friends. She leaned into Nick, thankful for his arm wrapped around her waist as she nibbled on her snowflake cookie. 

Theo sighed, echoing her pout over this being their last bit of time together until after the holidays were over. He’d probably still run into Sabrina and Nick out in the town since the three of them were sticking around but there was little chance of seeing Roz or Harvey before January.

“I have to be in a cabin with my dad, brother and grandpa for two weeks,” Harvey groaned, shaking his head before he blew on his cocoa, not wanting to burn his tongue like he’d done several times before.

“Are you guys hunting?” Roz asked, knowing he didn’t particularly like joining in on that.

“No. Tommy and I talked to dad.” Harvey didn’t know what he’d do without his big brother having his back. “Dad and Gramps are hunting. I’m bringing my sketchbooks and Tommy is bringing movies for us to watch. Otherwise we threatened to stay home and fend for ourselves.”

He’d watch as many football movies as Tommy wanted if it meant staying out of the forest and not needing to handle a gun. 

“I’m just looking forward to not waking up before the sun rises every day,” Roz let out a happy sigh, before cupping her cocoa between her hands.

“Low blow, Rosalind,” Theo grumbled, as he looked over at her.

“It’s not my fault you live on a working farm, Theo,” she replied, ducking the marshmallow he threw at her.

“At least your days as Santa’s little helper are over?” Sabrina offered up and Theo shuddered. Hopefully he never had to deal with another room full of hyper children again in his life.

“The guitar is wrapped and hidden in my room and I am _never_ wearing bells again,” Theo muttered, nose pinching as he thought of the ridiculous outfit.

“Never say never,” Nick warned, catching the marshmallow in his mouth that Theo threw his way.

“You’re not funny,” Theo pointed a finger at him, watching as Nick held up his hands. He looked around at the others. “Are we doing this exchange or not?”

Everyone pulled out the wrapped or bagged present they’d bought for their designated person--having picked out one of their names from a hat earlier in December. Sabrina handed over an intricately wrapped present to Theo, complete with a black bow that Hilda had shown her how to make. Nick handed a similarly wrapped one to Roz, having gotten Sabrina to help him wrap it the other day before taking a festive bag from Harvey. Once Roz handed a bag over to Sabrina and Theo handed one to Harvey, the group tore into their presents. 

“This is awesome, Brina!” Theo laid the black leather jacket along the table in front of him, smoothing his hands out across the material.

“I figured it went well with the style you’re working to cultivate.” She grinned at him before pulling out the bunny slippers from her bag, pressing them to her cheeks to feel how soft they were.

“They come with a matching pajama set,” Roz told her, indicating for her to keep pulling stuff out.

Sure enough there was a set of light blue pajama pants and a tank top with cute little white rabbits drawn onto it. “I love it, Roz.” She’d have to try them out later that night.

“Nick! How did you know I wanted this set?” Roz asked as she pulled out the scarf, hat and mitten set. 

“A little bunny told me,” Nick winked at her as Sabrina poked him in the side. 

He blinked at the photo frame that he pulled out of the bag from Harvey, finding a sketch of him and Sabrina chatting at one of the library tables. The other boy had captured them perfectly, showcasing Sabrina’s laughter at something he’d said, and Nick took in the look of absolute adoration that Harvey had managed to capture in his image. “I...wow.” 

He wasn’t sure what else to say and looked up as Sabrina took the framed sketch from him. “Thanks, I love it,” Nick told him and Harvey nodded.

“It seemed like something you would appreciate,” Harvey murmured before opening his own gift and finding some expensive colored pencils and another sketchbook inside. “Thanks, Theo. This will definitely come in handy in the cabin.”

“I’m going to miss you guys,” Roz looked around at everyone, frowning as she reached across the table to take hold of Sabrina’s hands.

“It’s two weeks,” Theo reminded her as he slipped into his new jacket. “That’s less than your summer bible camp ventures.”

He didn’t quite manage to duck when both girls threw a marshmallow at him.

* * *

Unlike the rest of Greendale, which looked like a ridiculous amount of holly and tinsel had overtaken the town, Dorian’s looked the same as ever. Not a single decoration had been put up for the upcoming holiday of Yule and according to the others there would be absolutely no change to the interior. Someone had tried to give an evergreen tree once to Dorian, intending for him to put it in a corner and had been subsequently thrown out of the establishment for the rest of December. Everyone had quickly learned to leave the festivities at the door when they stepped inside. 

Which was fine with Sabrina as she slid against Nick on the dance floor. There was enough festive cheer happening back in the mortuary. It was nice to have a place to cut loose and work off some of the excess energy she seemed to constantly be buzzing with these days. He whirled her out from him before quickly pulling her back in and Sabrina closed her eyes, letting her head fall back a little as she simply allowed herself to exist in that moment. 

Every thought and worry vanished as they moved together. Her focus shifted to the sensations he was so easily building up inside of her with each caress of his hands, every press of his of his body against hers, and the feather light kisses he kept placing along her neck when her back was to him. It was too much and yet somehow, not enough at the same time. 

She wanted _more_ and knew she wasn’t going to get what she wanted as long as they were in Dorian’s. As nice as it was to trail her fingers along his chest, she wanted to taste the skin there, feel his muscles without the barrier of fabric in the way. 

Sabrina turned in Nick’s arms so that she was facing him. It always amazed her how he could look at her with a mix of intense desire and somehow adoration at the same time. They were two things she hadn’t ever thought could possibly be doled out together and yet he constantly managed it. 

“Take me home,” Sabrina started as she settled her hands around the back of his neck, stroking the curls there. His movements stilled and she knew from that alone that he wasn’t quite understanding her. 

“No. Not my home. _Yours_.” He arched a brow at that, thumb brushing against her hip and Sabrina made sure she was looking him in the eye when she continued, “I don't want the aunties interrupting us.”

Nick sucked in a breath at that. “Are you sure?”

She nodded and he didn’t hesitate, easily teleporting the two of them out of Dorian’s and over to his bedroom in his house. She shivered as soon as they arrived, the coldness from outside having seeped into the building. He rubbed at her arms before nodding toward the door. “Let me go turn the heater on.” 

He flicked the lights on as he left and Sabrina kept her arms wrapped around herself as she started walking around the room. She’d been in it countless times before, but not since they’d shared that first kiss. She didn’t quite know it as well as her own room, but there was a familiarity to it that helped ease the tension that had started to creep up inside of her. 

She trailed her fingers along the dresser, looking at the photographs of Nick and his mother, of their friends group, and one of the two of them from years ago, before moving toward the bookshelf. She knew every book inside of that case, lips tugging into a smile as she looked over them and the way he’d separated various witch ones from the mortal books. The witch ones were sorted into different categories and then alphabetized in each of those. His taste in mortal ones was more eclectic than her own love of horror novels, though he had a good selection of those as well. 

As she passed by the window she saw his reflection in it and turned, spotting him leaning against his door frame. He was watching her walk around the room, hands crossed against his chest. The adoration she’d seen before in his gaze was gone, leaving only the intensity behind.

His bed was in between the two of them and she glanced over at it, biting her lower lip before looking back at him. She had no clue what to do here now that they’d come to his room, but that need for _more_ was only growing and she stepped forward, resting her hand against the brass bedpost. 

Nick crossed the room, taking a seat on the other side of the bed. “You’re still calling the shots here, Spellman.”

Which was sweet, but… “I don’t even know what shots to call.”

His smile was soft at that, patting the side of the bed beside him. He waited until she rounded it and sat down beside him before speaking again. “What do you want?” Nick picked up one of her hands, noting the slight tremble inside of it. 

That was easy at least. “To kiss you.” 

He reached over with his other hand and cupped her cheek. “And?”

Sabrina licked her lips as she looked him over. “I want you out of that shirt.”

He brushed his thumb across her lips and she looked back up at him. “Anything else?”

She nearly shook her head, but he did that damn challenging smirk, the one she could never quite back down from. “I want to get out of this dress.”

Her cheeks felt hot after she said it, free hand wrapping tightly in his shirt as Nick leaned in, nose brushing against her own. “And I want to see exactly how far down this blush of yours goes.” 

Any chance of her having a coherent thought was quickly squashed as he kissed her. There was nothing soft about his mouth on hers now, an urgency to this kiss that she hadn’t ever experienced before. It only egged on the hunger that had been bubbling up inside of her and she let him push her back onto the bed. Her tongue curled against his, hands tangling in his hair as they barely broke apart to breathe. 

She tried to follow him up when he moved, falling back against the bed as she watched Nick tug his shirt over his head. It wasn’t like she’d never seen him without a shirt on before--walking around topless had been one of his favorite things to do after football practice--but it was very different to have him like that _right there in front of her_ and know she could touch him. She was tentative at first, hand simply pressing against his chest and not quite looking at him as he propped himself up on one elbow beside her. 

It didn’t take long before she was tracing her fingers along his abs, around the waistline of his pants, feeling a little emboldened by his sharp intake of breath. Sabrina pressed a kiss to his shoulder, mimicking the trail he so often enjoyed doing to her before she nipped at his neck, tongue coming out to smooth over the mark she was pretty sure she was going to leave. She grinned as he let out a groan at that, unsurprised when he pressed her back against the bed.

“Enjoying yourself?” Nick asked, arching a brow at her as he held himself above her.

“Immensely,” Sabrina replied, lips twitching into a smirk that quickly shifted into her gasping as he brushed against the underside of her breast through the fabric of her dress. 

“Time for your second want?” Nick offered, nodding toward the dress she was still wearing. He kept up the steady stroke of his fingers against her, enjoying the way her breathing was coming out faster now. “This is still at your pace. When you want to stop, we stop.”

Sabrina nodded and reached up, pressing her hand against his chest to move him backward as she pushed herself up. She turned her back toward him. “Can you?” she asked, brushing her hand up her hair to hold it off the zipper. 

She wasn’t sure if he was deliberately going painstakingly slow to unzip it, his fingers trailing along with it or if it just seemed like an eternity to her. She jumped as his lips pressed against her spine, following the zipper down as well, hand gripping the blanket below them tightly to try and balance herself. 

Her cheeks felt hot as Nick rested his chin against her shoulder, his fingers brushing along the edges of the back of her bra that peeked out through the opening of her dress. “All done,” he murmured and Sabrina had to close her eyes, biting down on her lip as he kissed her shoulder next. 

She pulled away from him then, needing a little bit of space so she could breathe. He didn’t move after her, simply sat there on the bed, watching as she worked to collect herself before she let the dress fall around her, pooling at her feet. Sabrina stepped out of it, leaving her heels behind as well as she turned to look at him. 

He’d looked her over before, but the rawness in his gaze as he did so now was causing her heart to speed up. Nick held out a hand, pleased that she took it and tugged her forward until she was sitting on the bed beside him. 

“Kiss me,” Sabrina breathed out and Nick arched a brow at that.

“Where?” 

The strangled noise she gave at that before pushing him down onto the bed had him smirking until she kissed him. He didn’t hold back from touching her now, hands across her back, sliding along the straps of her bra before he slid them down along her ass, enjoying the way she bucked at that. Nick had likened her to a forest fire before and that only seemed to hold true even more so now, every press of her skin against his seeming to ignite little fires inside of him. 

He hadn’t expected her to push herself up, hand pressing against his chest though she didn’t move off of him completely, still sitting along his waist. Her eyes were nearly white as she reached behind her, undoing her bra and letting it slide off of her. It was Sabrina’s turn to smirk as Nick sucked in a breath, taking in the sight of her bare breasts for the first time. 

She couldn’t quite say how he managed to press her down onto the bed after that, her head falling back against the mattress as his hands, mouth and tongue doled out the attention she’d experienced only in her dreams. He was far exceeding anything her imagination had been able to come up with. It was almost becoming too much, coiled tension stirring inside of her and Sabrina tugged at the ends of his hair, wanting to see him. His hand brushed against her thigh and she sucked in a breath, tensing against him. 

Harvey and her had never gotten anywhere near this far before. She’d definitely never laid half naked in his bed with his hand stroking the skin along the straps of her garter belt. “I always wondered how often you wore these,” Nick murmured against her breast before looking up at her.

Sabrina wasn’t sure if she was sucking in a breath because of his words, touch or the intensity of his gaze. Was she actually supposed to answer him though? Because she didn’t think she could verbalize anything at that moment. Especially not when his fingers ghosted against satin before dipping underneath it. 

She couldn’t keep looking at him then, eyes clenching tightly as his mouth was on her breast again and his fingers were touching her in ways she’d only ever done herself or experienced him doing so in her dreams. Sabrina gripped at the cover underneath them, needing to hold onto something as he kept working at her, toes curling as he overloaded her with every new sensation. She didn’t even care about his smug smile against her chest as she cried out, every candle that he had in the room lighting all at once. 

Nick pressed a kiss to her shoulder, enjoying how she curled into him at that, seeking him out even if she still hadn’t opened her eyes again just yet. He was aching for his own release but had a feeling he’d be working through that in a shower later on. 

“We should head to your house or your aunts will worry,” Nick told her, stroking a finger down her arm.

“In a little bit.” She rested her head against his chest as Nick waved an arm, bringing an extra blanket from his wardrobe over and spreading it out over the two of them. She could feel him hard against her. “Do you…”

Nick felt that uncertainty curling around her and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in closer. “Don’t get me wrong, Sabrina,” he started, tucking his fingers under her chin so she would look at him. “I very much want to explore every inch of your body and to feel you explore mine, but getting to hold your hand--”

“You’ve always held my hand,” she butted in, and he tapped a finger against her lips so she’d stop interrupting.

“Just being with you is what I want,” he continued. “The rest will happen when it happens.” And the tension she managed to bring about in him was a tortuous highlight that he hadn’t quite anticipated. 

That seemed to alleviate whatever worries had been rumbling in her head as she curled up against his side, drawing little symbols across his chest. She was there, in his arms, curled up by his side--something Nick had yearned for longer than he liked to consider. There really wasn’t anything else he could ask for, content to lay there with her for a little while.

* * *

She didn’t want to dream, pushing against the images that were trying to pull her under and keep her there. It was a useless struggle though, one that she couldn’t push her way out of and Sabrina fell into it, every inch of her tightening up as she waited for whatever chaos was going to be unleashed this time. 

The scene before her was one she’d experienced many times years ago, finding a smaller version of her sitting at the kitchen table with her aunts and father. She was hurriedly trying to finish off the lunch that had been placed before her, eager to get back outside to play and explore. 

“Someone’s in a rush today,” her father commented, smiling over at her from over top of the newspaper. 

“I want to go play with my puppy,” she told him, her words coming out mushy as she chewed her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“We answer questions after we’re finished with the bite,” Zelda reminded her and Sabrina smiled as she watched the little version of her nod at that, working hard to finish chewing her bite before carefully picking up the glass of lemonade to take a drink.

“Your puppy?” Edward arched a brow as he looked between his daughter and then sisters.

She remembered this day, the odd conversation that had followed and the fight that had occurred between her father and Zelda after it. Maybe there was something else to glimpse from it that she hadn’t noticed as a child?

“Sabrina has gotten herself an imaginary familiar,” Hilda told him, smiling over at her niece.

“It’s rather darling,” Zelda added, reaching over to straighten the little girl’s headband.

“You’re just happy it's a dog,” Hilda murmured, looking over at where the taxidermied Vinegar Tom sitting in his doggy bed at the edge of the kitchen.

“This family could use more dogs,” Zelda replied, shrugging.

Sabrina kept her gaze locked on her father, trying to figure out what exactly he might be thinking in that moment. His facial expression was fairly neutral so far. “What kind of dog is it, sweetheart?” Edward asked, setting down the paper to focus on the little girl.

“I don’t know,” Sabrina murmured, shrugging much like Zelda had just done. 

He chuckled at that. “Well, what color is it?”

Sabrina wrinkled her nose. “Kind of red but not red.” She glanced over at Hilda. “Can I have some scraps for him?”

“What kind would you like this time?” her aunt asked, rising and heading to the fridge.

“He liked the goat ones,” the little girl told her and Hilda nodded, turning to retrieve some of those.

“How big would you say he is?” Edward continued and little Sabrina quirked her lips before raising her hand up high.

“Very big. Almost as tall as you, daddy,” she told her father with a nod.

His brows furrowed at that and Sabrina frowned, not liking the way he seemed to frown as well before smiling over at the younger her. “That is rather big.”

“Mmhmm,” the little girl replied before taking another bite of her sandwich.

“And what’s his name?” Edward asked and Sabrina opened her mouth to reply, quickly shutting it to chew at Zelda’s look.

“Gilly,” she finally managed to get out.

“Gilly?” Edward arched a brow at that. 

Little Sabrina nodded. “He has a long name but I can’t say it.”

Sabrina bit her lip, trying to remember what it had been as Edward followed up with, “Why not?”

“It’s really hard to say so I just call him Gilly,” the little girl replied before taking another sip of lemonade.

“And where did you find this Gilly of yours?” her father continued as Hilda pulled out the goat meat, working to cut it into smaller pieces.

“When I was playing in the woods.” Sabrina slid off the chair and collected her plate and glass, depositing them in the sink before she moved to stand by Hilda.

“Where in the woods?” Edward turned toward the two of them.

Sabrina watched as the younger version of her furrowed her brow much like her father tended to do, trying to remember where she’d first met the dog. “By the caves I’m not allowed to explore.”

Her father rose quickly, his features hardening. He crossed over to her, taking the bag of scraps that Hilda had gotten together and throwing them in the trash can. “Edward!” Hilda gasped while Sabrina cried out.

“Daddy, no!” 

“You’re to stay in here,” he told her, turning to head out the room.

“But Gilly needs his food, daddy!” the little girl protested, trying to move toward the trashcan and retrieve the bag.

“You’re not seeing that dog again, Sabrina,” he continued, taking hold of her arms. His touch was gentle but firm and Sabrina watched as the little version of her shook slightly, lips trembling as she shook her head.

“But daddy,” she protested, but he shook his head, turning her to go back to Hilda.

“Edward, really--” Zedal started, rising from her spot as well.

“There will be no more feeding that creature,” her father reiterated as he started toward the front of the house. He turned back, expression unreadable as he pointed a finger at her. “Stay inside.”

The little girl started sobbing, clinging tightly to Hilda who tried to comfort her while Zelda headed off after their brother. Sabrina was already on his heels, following him out onto the porch and saw the hellhound waiting patiently at the bottom of the steps. She noticed how her father’s gaze locked with the hounds, confirming that he could see the animal. 

Her aunt didn’t seem to see it when she exited the house after him. “Edward, an imaginary familiar is a harmless childhood stage.”

“Not now, Zelda,” he told her, brushing off her hand on his shoulder.

“She’s perfectly distraught,” Zelda told him, pointing back toward the front door. Sabrina’s cries echoed from it.

“She’ll be fine,” her father replied, never breaking contact with the hellhound.

“It’s a dog. And not even a real one,” Zelda muttered, shaking her head at the absurdity.

“Leave it be, sister,” Edward warned, but she shook her head.

“I will not. You cannot simply come home and turn that little girl’s world upside down in this manner,” Zelda told him, taking a step back at the intensity of the look Edward directed her way when he turned to look at her.

“She’s my daughter, not yours, Zelda,” he snapped and Sabrina sucked in a breath, watching as Zelda flinched at that before her lips pinched together and she whirled around, entering the house again.

Her father took a step toward her, shoulders drooping slightly before he turned back to the hellhound. He was saying a spell, one hand moving in a circular motion while the other drew a symbol in the air. Sabrina wracked her brain, trying to identify this one as Gilly started backing up, whining at what her father was doing until he was off the boundaries of the Spellman lot. 

It was a banishing spell, one meant to keep a creature from stepping foot onto an area of land.

Her father stopped at the edge of the boundary. “Go back to your master,” he told the hound. “She has no need for any gifts.”

Sabrina watched as her father headed back into the house, knowing full well how the rest of that day would go. She looked back toward the hellhound and stepped over the boundary line, following it through the wood as it hurried back toward the mines. 

It stopped in front of someone but Sabrina blinked awake.

Try as she might, she couldn’t remember anything about the person it had stopped in front of.

* * *

Sabrina looked around at the witchlings all attempting the spell that Nick and her had shown them. They were managing it to various degrees, some definitely more adept than others, but every single one of them was taking it seriously and putting their all into it.. A quick glance over at Nick who was helping Wade with the symbols needed had her seeing the same swelling of pride that had been enveloping her. They all continued to attempt the spell, getting better with each try, and she couldn’t help but wonder if this was how her father had felt when he’d taught it to her and Nick. 

She knew she used the same gentle approach he’d doled out to them when they had worked at drawing the symbols, correcting stances with a guiding hand instead of a harsh comment like she’d heard countless times at school.

Her gaze traveled to where the Weird Sisters were working on their attempts. Prudence had already managed it and was working to help Agatha and Dorcas to manage it as well. She was far more gentle with her sisters than she ever was with the others, though even they didn’t seem exempt from a few choice comments from her.

Sabrina headed over, turning over the journal in her hands as she stopped at the side of their area. “You’re forgetting the line at the top of that symbol,” she pointed out for Dorcas, who looked over, eyeing her carefully before looking to Prudence for confirmation. 

At her sister’s nod, Dorcas added the line and then retried the incantation, face lighting up as it finally worked before turning to talk to Agatha about it. Prudence kept her gaze on Sabrina, arms crossed as the younger witch headed over to her. 

“You’re picking it up faster than the others,” Sabrina commented and Prudence simply raised a shoulder.

“Not too surprising.” Unlike some she actually listened when needed.

“Nick and I were thinking you might want to try doing some of them on your own?” Sabrina suggested, holding up one of her father’s journals.

Prudence pursed her lips, looking Sabrina over as she tried to figure out what angle the other girl was playing at. “What do you want for doing this?”

Sabrina shrugged. “For you to successfully do the spell.” Prudence snorted at that, clearly not believing her but Sabrina held out the journal. “Do you want it or not?”

Prudence waited a moment, still trying to ascertain what stipulations there were before taking the journal. “It's customary to say thank you,” Sabrina told her, lips twitching with amusement when Prudence waved her off and walked away.

“Feel good about yourself, don’t you?” Nick asked as he stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Sabrina grinned, leaning back against him. “Maybe a little.” 

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek before pulling away to go help someone else with their technique. She moved on as well, a sense of purpose filling her as she helped Elspeth with her symbol. There was an air of happiness that flowed through the group, far surpassing anything she’d seen in them before. The power that flowed through the group tasted different to her as well, swelling with a newness that she couldn’t quite define. 

Sabrina let it wrap around her, allowed it to bolster her own magic as she worked with Mona next. She hoped they would be able to replicate and expand on this energy they were creating at their next gathering. 

Maybe they could show it to her father and the other parents, let them see how much they were progressing. She knew she wasn’t the only one in the group who was desperate to make their parents proud.

* * *

Sabrina burrowed closer into Nick, muttering something about the cold as he tugged the quilt tighter around the two of them. Sunlight flickered in through her window, trying to encourage the two of them to fully wake, but she pressed her face into his chest, drawing the quilt over her head to put off rising for a little longer. It might have been a weekday, but school was finished for the rest of the year, and Sabrina had no intention of being an early riser until it started up again. 

Especially not if she got to continue waking up with Nick by her side. 

He’d fallen asleep in her bed with her the last few nights, the two of them in their pajamas, and Sabrina knew it wouldn’t last forever. Eventually he’d have to go back to his house but until then she meant to make the most of having him there. 

A nose bumped against her back and Sabrina let out a groan. “Not yet, Amalia,” she protested, wrapping her arm tighter around Nick, desperate to stay in the bed. 

“Amalia’s over on my side, Spellman,” Nick told her, running his hand through his familiar’s fur. 

Sabrina peered out of the quilt, spotting that Nick still had his eyes closed, and saw that Salem was curled up on her pillow. She shifted, turning to get a look at what had bumped into her and let out a squeal when she saw her father’s familiar laying on the bed. “Rhea!” 

The leopard let out a grunt before pressing her head into Sabrina’s stomach so the girl could hug her. She trailed her hands down the familiar’s neck, pressing her cheek against the animal before turning back to Nick. 

“They’re back!” 

He opened one eye to peer up at her, shaking his head at the brightness of her smile before she leaned in, kissing him. He didn’t quite get a chance to kiss her back before she was sliding off the bed and into the bunny slippers Roz had given her. 

“Come on!” Sabrina protested, tugging on the quilt. 

Salem let out an annoyed meow at that before turning back over, not wanting to get up just yet. Sabrina tugged on the quilt again and Nick let out a sigh, knowing he wasn’t going to be getting any more sleep. He ran a hand through his curls as he watched her looking expectantly at him. 

“You’re very lucky that you’re cute,” Nick muttered as he finally rose, leaving Amalia and Salem to continue sleeping. 

Sabrina pressed another quick kiss to his lips, pulling away from his grasp and taking the stairs two at a time once they got to them. Nick bounded down after her, shaking his head at her excitement, before they headed into the kitchen. 

Both of their fathers were leaning against the counter, cups of coffee in their hands, and Nathaniel offered Nick one as soon as he entered. Sabrina headed right to her father, hugging him hard. It was easily reciprocated and Nick smiled as he watched the two, thankful that both warlocks seemed to have returned in one piece.

Edward cleared his throat once she stepped back from him, watching as she happily accepted the cup that Nick offered her. He glanced over at Nathaniel, who lifted a shoulder before letting it drop as he shook his head. If Edward wanted to have this conversation then that was on him.

“So, children,” Edward started, motioning between the two of them. “When exactly did this start?”

“What do you mean?” Sabrina asked as she blew on her coffee.

The look her father gave her was reminiscent of Zelda's and it took all of Sabrina’s inner strength not to twitch her lips at that. “Rhea wasn’t the only one who checked on you earlier,” he informed her and she nearly choked on her drink.

Of course Ambrose took that opportunity to breeze into the room, turning around one of the chairs to sit down on. “Busteeeeed.” 

He was way too chipper for how early it was.

“If you’d been around then you’d already know the answer to that,” Sabrina pointed out after sticking her tongue out at her cousin. She turned toward the fridge, wondering if there was anything they could munch on before Hilda woke. 

“29 days,” Nick started almost simultaneously with her and she looked over at him, arching a brow at his precision. He shrugged. Yes, he’d been keeping track. 

“Oh, are we counting from the first day you kissed?” Ambrose piped up and Sabrina flicked a finger, zapping him.

Edward furrowed his brow, calculating how long that had been. “That’s as long as we’ve been gone.”

“We might have gotten together before we were attacked,” Nick informed them, shrugging. He noted that his father’s lips were twitching, amusement in his gaze. But he couldn’t quite read Edward’s, uncertain how the High Priest was taking this news. 

Worry started to form in the pit of his stomach, quickly turning into dread over the warlock he’d looked up to for so long not thinking he was worthy of Sabrina. He’d never considered it as a possibility before. How could he when the man had let him so easily into his home in every other instance, welcoming him as though he had always belonged there? Wasn’t he the top boy in every witch class at school? Hadn’t he shown that he was trustworthy, that he loved her?

A lump grew in his throat, one that he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to swallow. 

Sabrina pulled out a half-eaten apple cinnamon cake and turned back toward the others, pursing her lips as soon as she took in the tightening of Nick’s shoulders. She could sense the uncertainty that was coming over him and set the cake down on the counter, no longer hungry as she reached out for his hand, taking hold of it like she’d done so many times before. 

“I just never expected this to happen so soon,” Edward finally stated as he shook his head, and the tension that had coiled inside of Nick released a bit as he took in the older warlock’s smile.

“The breakup with the mortal threw a bit of a wrench in your predicted timeline,” Nathaniel pointed out, raising his mug in Sabrina’s direction. 

She narrowed her eyes at that, looking between the two of them. “I truly should have adjusted it,” Edward admitted as he floated the cake over to the table and took a seat down beside Ambrose before calling forth some forks as well, handing his nephew one.

“I don’t know if we should be amused or offended right now,” Sabrina grumbled and it was Nick’s turn to give her hand a squeeze. 

“I say we go for amusement,” Nick suggested, relieved that the tension that had stirred up inside of the room had dissipated.

“I guess.” She let him tug her over toward the table, the two of them sitting across from their fathers. Ambrose grinned at her, drumming his fingers along his cheeks as his gaze locked on her neck, reminding her of the mark Nick had left there last night. 

“I’m still curious as to what being together means for you two,” Ambrose commented before taking a bite of the cake.

“You know what they say about curiosity, don’t you?” Sabrina offered up, her smile sickeningly sweet as she narrowed her eyes, fork pointing at him.

He leaned against the table at that, tapping his cheeks as Edward cleared his throat. “I take it that your aunts also know, considering you were so easily sharing a bed together.”

“Mmmhmm.” Sabrina shrugged, and Nick reached over, giving her thigh a squeeze before dropping his hand. Maybe that wasn’t the best idea.

“I think Aunt Hildy’s still feeling out the whole sex part with the two of them,” Ambrose replied and Sabrina smoothed out her pajama pants as she wacked him his own fork.“What? She is!” He rubbed at his hand, flicking cake crumbs at his cousin. “She does that mumble thing whenever she sees you two kissing or sitting close together or--”

"We get the point, Ambrose!" Sabrina groaned. Did they really need to have this conversation in front of her father? Not that he seemed to particularly mind it, but _she did_.

“But she’s not popping into the room every other minute now,” Nick pointed out, thankful that she’d gone back to treating him like she always did. 

"Are you really using labels?" Ambrose asked, and Sabrina blinked at that, not sure what he meant.

"Huh?" 

"Those pesky little sayings that the mortals give one another,” Ambrose explained, shuddering at the idea of it. 

“You mean like being a couple or boyfriend and girlfriend?” Sabrina arched a brow, watching as her cousin nodded.

“Yep!” Nick beamed, and Sabrina glanced over at him, enjoying the look of pure joy that seemed to come over him with that answer.

“Kind of limiting though, don't you think?” Ambrose prodded, and Sabrina rolled her eyes at that. 

Nick shrugged, not seeing it that way at all. “Nah. We're exclusive.”

“Are you now?” Ambrose asked, glancing over toward the older warlocks at that.

Sabrina and Nick nodded, reaching for each other’s hands under the table. 

“Doing this the mortal way then?” his father asked, and they looked over at him. There was no judgement in his gaze, merely curiosity. 

“No,” Nick shook his head, threading his fingers with Sabrina’s. “Our way. At our pace.”

“That does seem to be the trick to maintaining any sort of relationship,” her father commented, looking over at their hands. 

“Neither of you ever did well with sharing one another with anyone else,” Nathaniel shook his head, and Nick watched an all too familiar gaze pass through the man’s eyes. He was thinking of his mother. She’d said something about Sabrina and him years before. 

“Isn't that the truth,” Ambrose piped up, tapping his fork against the table.

Hilda strode into the room, looking around at the assembled group. “Ooh! You're back! And eating cake.” Her brows knitted at that, clearly unapproving.

“And discussing our dear cousin's--” 

Sabrina flicked some cake at him as Zelda headed inside as well. “It's far too early for you to be antagonizing your cousin, Ambrose.”

“Should I make breakfast?” Hilda asked, looking around to see if all of their appetites had been ruined by the leftovers.

“Yes.” Zelda sat down at her usual spot at the table, eyeing the older two warlocks. “I'll need something to eat while interrogating these two about what they've been up to.”

“I'm in need of a bath and some sleep before getting into anything,” her brother told her, already working to rise.

“As am I,” Nathaniel agreed as he stood as well.

They were very lucky that her looks couldn’t actually kill. 

“I'll see you at home later?” Nathaniel continued, looking over at his son.

Nick gave Sabrina’s hand a squeeze. There went all of their Yule plans that they’d been making over the last few weeks.

“I'm afraid that since neither of you were able to give us an actual estimate on when you'd return, we've accounted for all of Nicholas's time for the next two weeks,” Hilda piped up from her place at the stove.

Nathaniel blinked at that, turning toward her. He was surprised at the seriousness of her look she was directing toward him. “Is that so?”

“I've already ordered the food and other items for a proper Yule,” she continued, turning away and Sabrina gave Nick’s hand a little squeeze. Maybe they would still get to do their plans. “There's even enough for you if you'd like to attend as well with us.”

“Be a shame to let it all go to waste,” Edward commented from his spot behind Sabrina. He reached down, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before giving Nick’s shoulder a squeeze.

“And we just so happen to have a spare room considering this one is shacking up in Sabrina's room,” Ambrose added, jutting a thumb toward Nick. It was worth the fork whacking against his hand.

Nick waited, holding in a breath as he tried not to be too hopeful. Nathaniel’s expression was unreadable as he looked around at the group, before his gaze settled on his son. “Very well. I'll need to check in on the manor and retrieve a few things.”

He nodded toward the others before heading out of the house while Edward headed up to his own room. Sabrina leaned over, kissing Nick softly, and Hilda smiled as she watched them for a moment before turning back to the eggs she’d started. It wasn’t often that she tried to interfere with anyone else’s lives, but it would be good for the boy to have some fun outside of the designated coven ceremonies. 

It might even end up being healing for both Scratches and the two of them could certainly use a bit of healing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the ride that was this chapter. I enjoyed getting to do a few little Yule things, start bringing Prudence and Sabrina toward a different angle of their friendship, and Sabrina and Nick trying out some new things together. What are your thoughts on what the dads thought of their relationship?
> 
> Next chapter is Yule. With the Spellmans and Scratches. Some moments with Nick and his dad. Sabrina and Nick. And the whole coven. Also Zelda digs her heels in to get some damn answers from the fathers.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading everyone.


	13. have yourself a merry little solstice

“Has Aunt Hilda given you your sweater yet?” Ambrose asked as he plopped down onto the couch. He arched a brow at the mortal game that Sabrina had apparently dragged out of the closet, unsurprised to find that Nick was eagerly playing it.

“Sweater?” Nick glanced over at the other warlock, concentration broken. He let out a curse as the tower collapsed in front of him, eyeing Sabrina who happily shimmied across the coffee table from him, smug in her victory. “Best two out of three.”

She waved her hand, setting all of the Jenga pieces back into the starting set up. “Only because you’re cute.”

Ambrose rolled his eyes at the sickeningly sweet kiss that the two shared as they leaned across the table. “An ugly sweater--”

“They’re not ugly,” Sabrina protested as she sat back down, reaching over to give Salem a welcome scritch when he settled down beside her.

“Cousin, they’re hideous.” Ambrose shuddered at the very idea of them, remembering the awful pattern they were all going to be forced into enduring this year.

“They’re cute,” Sabrina murmured as she lifted Salem up, cradling him close.

Nick looked over at Ambrose, taking in the older warlock’s shudder. “As I was saying, Aunt Hilda makes ugly sweaters for all of us to wear as part of the festivities,” Ambrose informed him. “I saw that she was working on yours and your fathers. We’ve already been saddled with our own.”

“Don’t listen to him. They’re adorable,” Sabrina added, and Nick glanced over at her, not entirely sure he wanted to be wearing anything that fit that definition.

“Nothing a warlock wears should be adorable, cousin,” Ambrose pointed out, and Nick had to nod in agreement with that one.

She scoffed at the two of them. “It’s not even over the top this year so I don’t know why you’re complaining.”

“The snowman’s scarf blinks!” Ambrose replied and Nick’s eyes widened in horror at that. The sweater was going to blink?

“Only if you turn on the lights,” Sabrina stuck her tongue out at her cousin.

“Which we’ll have to do,” Ambrose reminded as Nick leaned back against the couch, raking a hand through his curls at the idea of a blinking sweater.

“Just for the picture,” Sabrina shrugged, clearly not seeing the big deal.

“You’re not helping your case here, Sabrina,” Ambrose told her and she looked over at Nick, looking to see if he held the same opinion.

Nick cleared his throat. “I’m kind of looking forward to seeing my father’s reaction to having to wear this.”

Ambrose chuckled at that and Sabrina grinned. “Good point. We may want to capture that,” her cousin suggested.

“Definitely,” Nick agreed as he reached over and withdrew one of the blocks. 

“So how much time do you think it’ll take before Auntie Zee starts poking at them for answers tonight?” Ambrose asked after a few moments of watching them try to out maneuver one another.

“I have a feeling we’ll do the ceremony first and then she’ll pounce,” Sabrina suggested as she withdrew another block. The structure teetered for a moment but held strong.

“She might start on them before the ceremony even begins.” It wouldn’t surprise Nick if Zelda did. She’d been trying to corner their fathers since their arrival yesterday.

“Snippy little comments are a definite possibility,” Ambrose agreed. He was a bit surprised that the two warlocks were avoiding the conversation. Surely Edward and Nathaniel realized that Zelda was never going to give up on learning what had happened. Hopefully she would at least have the decency to get answers in an area the three of them could eavesdrop from. 

“Oh good, you’re in here!” Hilda commented as she entered the room, a blue and white sweater slung over her arm. “I’m sure these two have filled you in on our little Yule tradition. It was actually something Sabrina’s mother started during her first one with us.”

She handed over the sweater and Nick smiled up at her, touched that he was being included in a family tradition. It took all of his effort to not make a face when he took in the jolly snowman that did indeed have lights sewn into its scarf. “You just push the little button on the side and then they’ll blink!” Hilda pointed out, showing him how to do it.

“Be happy this one doesn’t have a song to go with it,” Ambrose murmured and Hilda reached over, lightly swatting his arm. 

“I love it, Ms. Spellman,” Nick told her, and he meant it. Even if it was the most ridiculous thing that he’d ever seen or would wear. 

“He even accepted it with a smile,” Hilda pointed out as she glanced down at her nephew. “Not a single grumble involved.”

“Once he’s on his fifth one I’m sure he’ll start with the grumbling,” Ambrose replied and Nick didn’t mean to make the Jenga blocks fall, but his hand had slipped at the implication that he’d still be celebrating this holiday with them in five years time. 

It was all he wanted and Sabrina didn’t gloat over having won the game again, simply slipped her hand in his. She threaded their fingers together, giving them a squeeze and Nick looked over at her. Her smile was the sweetest he’d ever seen in that moment and he had a feeling she’d been thinking similarly to him even as she tugged him forward, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. 

“I win,” she breathed out as she pulled back, mischief dancing in her gaze before the others in the Spellman clan and his father headed into the room. 

“It’s time to light the Yule log,” Zelda informed them, nodding toward the fireplace where that year’s log was set. The ashes of last years were strewn across it, helping to bridge the two years together. “And to honor those who came before us on this Mōdraniht.”

She beckoned everyone to rise and join her near it. Photographs of Diana Spellman and Victoria Scratch were placed on the mantle, a few drawings of other Spellman and Scratch women from centuries before added along with them. 

“Hail Lilith, Mother of Monsters, and bringer of truth, who turned her back on paradise so she could walk her own path through the night, discarding the easy life she could have embraced,” Zelda started, the others joining in with her as they stood in a circle, holding hands..

“Hail, our mothers, who through joy and suffering endured so that their children, and their children’s children might not just survive, but thrive.” The candles along the mantle all lit at that, highlighting the mothers who were no longer with them. 

Sabrina squeezed Nick and her father’s hands, happy to have both of them at her side for this Yule as she looked over at the photograph of her mother. Maybe she’d actually visit them this time when the veil between the dead and living was thin. 

“Hail Satan, who has gifted us our powers and allowed us the freedom to embrace our lives without the fear of so-called sin hanging over our heads.”

Edward moved from the circle for a moment, lighting the log, before joining with the others again. “May the log burn, may the wheel turn, may the evil spurn, may the sun return,” they all chanted together, finishing off the blessing. 

“Remember, the log needs to burn until the longest night is through,” Zelda warned, looking around at the group. “We’ve no need for more mischief this year.”

“Hear hear,” Hilda murmured, looking over at Ambrose, Sabrina and Nick before she clapped her hands together. She turned toward Nathaniel. “I need to get your sweater.”

“My--what?” Nathaniel asked, looking around at the others who were all trying hard not to laugh as Hilda hurried from the room. 

“Just go with it, my friend,” Edward told him, patting Nathaniel’s shoulder before heading over to sit down on one of the chairs while Ambrose took up space on the couch again. 

Nick took out his phone, snapping a few quick photos as Hilda entered the room, holding up the snowman monstrosity out for Nathaniel to take. “I don’t...I don’t know what to say,” the older warlock finally managed to get out as he looked at the sweater.

“It blinks,” Nick told him, nodding toward the button for his father to push. Capturing the look of horror on his father’s face as the scarf lit up was worth it, even if he was probably going to get his phone confiscated. 

He still had no idea how he was going to endure actually wearing the thing.

* * *

Sabrina had yearned for her mother to come since learning of spirits sometimes visiting their loved ones during the twelve days of Yule. She’d sat up for countless hours, often while clinging to the rabbit her mother had bought for her, waiting for Diana Spellman to materialize in her room, but she never had. She knew it wouldn’t quite be what she truly wanted anyway. There would be no hug, no chance to feel her mother’s arms around her in a real embrace even if she did manage to show. But they would have a chance to speak, she could hear her voice outside of a nightmare, and that would be enough.

Nick sat down on the bed beside her, reaching over to take her hand as he watched her stare out at the moon from her window. “Ghosts need to have unfinished business,” he murmured as she leaned against him. “Your mother knows you’re here with your family, that they love you.”

“I know,” she murmured, but that knowledge did little to soothe the ache in her soul. 

“What would you want to talk to her about?” he asked, giving her hand a squeeze before they settled back against the pillows. 

Sabrina turned onto her side, hands tucked under her chin as she looked over at him. Nick reciprocated the movement, though he propped his head up on one hand, the other drawing along her bare arm. “I just want a chance to hear her voice, to hear her say my name, to let her hear me call her mom.” Simple things. “Talk to her about you.”

“About me?” Nick arched a brow at that, fingers stilling for a moment.

Her smile was soft as she reached over, brushing her fingers against his cheek briefly before tucking them back under her chin. “And Roz, Theo, and Harvey. Let her know all about the people who are important to me that she never got to meet.”

“I don’t actually remember it, but technically I met your mom,” Nick pointed out. He’d been nearly two when Sabrina had been born and he knew their two families had gotten together countless times between his birth and hers as their fathers had hashed out details about their plans and reworked others.

She furrowed her brow, remembering the photograph of Victoria Scratch standing beside a very pregnant Diana Spellman that had been taken at one of the witch holidays. “Oh, right. Our moms were friends.” 

“Briefly, but yeah. I know my mom liked yours.” He reached up, brushing his fingers along the creases in her forehead. "Thought she was fairly formidable considering she’d taken everything in without freaking out.” At her arched brow he expanded, “Witches, your dad being the Priest. Worshiping Satan.”

“I wanted to ask her about that too.” Her father had told her that it had taken Diana some time to come to grips with that, but their love for one another had overruled any doubts her mother might have had. She wanted to hear that from her mother though. Know what doubts she might have gone through at first, know the things her father didn't always want to share. “And her family. I know so little about them.”

“Have you thought about asking your dad or your aunts?” Nick asked, unsurprised when she sighed.

“He doesn’t know that much. Her parents were only children, but they both died shortly after she went to college. No aunts or uncles and her grandparents were dead too. Like I know she used to make Christmas ornaments with them and they traveled a lot, but that’s about it.” Her mother was an enigma that Sabrina wasn’t sure she’d ever get to unwrap.

“Are there photos or documents or anything you can look through?” he suggested, watching as Sabrina quirked her lips at that.

“Her family home is somewhere in Oregon. It’s mine.” She wasn’t sure exactly where in Oregon, but she had the deed tucked away in one of the drawers of her vanity. “After I finish high school I want to go stay in it and see if there’s anything I can find there.” Maybe her mother wrote journals too and she could get a glimpse of the woman’s life.

“Well, if you want someone at your side for that trip,” Nick started and Sabrina reached over, pressing her hand to his chest.

“I always want you at my side,” she told him, meaning every word of it.

His answering smile was the most beautiful she thought she’d ever seen him dole out to her, but it was short lived as he moved forward to kiss her. As she ran her fingers through his curls, Sabrina knew they wouldn’t be getting to sleep any time soon. This was a far better way to spend her time staying awake in hopes of seeing her mother than any of the other Yule’s past.

* * *

Nick watched as Sabrina looked through the selection of carrots that Hilda had placed out on the counter for her, brow furrowing at how she continued to turn them over in her hands, weighing the options for which she wanted. 

“Why do we need all of this?” he asked, looking down into the bag he held for her. There were extra mittens, a couple of scarves and a variety of buttons scattered inside of it.

“You’ll see,” Sabrina told him and he glanced over at Hilda who was pressing her lips together to keep from laughing as she cut up some potatoes.

“You’re really not going to tell me?” Nick asked, unsurprised when she shook her head.

“Nope!” she grinned at him as she finally selected a carrot and put it into the bag as well. He let out a dramatic sigh at that before she gently pushed him to start heading toward the front door. 

“We’ll be back later, auntie,” Sabrina told Hilda, who nodded, waving them off. 

They barely made it out of the kitchen as Zelda sweeped in, pointing for them to head back into it, Ambrose on her heels. “Whatever plans you have are going to need to wait,” she informed them and Ambrose shrugged as Nick looked over at him for an answer. He had no clue what was happening either.

“But, Auntie,” Sabrina started to protest, wondering what had her aunt’s hackles up. 

“Your fathers are about to walk through that door and we’re holding a united front on getting answers,” Zelda continued as she pulled out a cigarette, sitting down at the table.

“I thought we weren’t supposed to be butting our noses into it?” Ambrose reminded, earning a pointed look from her before she took a long drag.

“Do you really think now is the time,” Hilda started, motioning around at all of the preparations that were under way for their later feast.

“They’ve been back for four days, any moratorium on letting them adjust back to normality has ceased,” Zelda replied, motioning for all of them to take a seat. “And Yule is the perfect time to air our grievances.”

“And here I thought it was about appreciating all we’ve been provided for the year,” Ambrose piped up, earning chuckles from Nick and Sabrina.

Zelda simply flicked some ash into the tray. “Do you want answers or not?”

“How do we even get them to talk though?” Nick pointed out as he sat down beside Sabrina.

She rested her elbows against the table, leaning forward into them. “They’ve been avoiding saying anything about it since they got back.”

“Leave that to me,” Zelda replied, finger pressed to her lip as they heard the front door open and the two warlocks enter. “Edward, Nathaniel,” she called out, pointedly looking at the others to be quiet. “Hilda is in need of your opinion about dessert for tonight.”

“Don’t you drag me into this,” her sister muttered from her place at the counter, still cutting away at the potatoes. 

“This can’t be good,” Edward commented as the two entered the kitchen. He took note of his sister’s stern look while the others were all glancing at one another, looking a bit guilty. 

“I suggest finding a seat. We’ll probably be here awhile,” Zelda replied, flicking more ash into the tray.

“Should we have something to munch on…” Hilda suggested, nodding toward the fridge.

“I suppose that will be up to how stubborn these two decide to be, sister,” Zelda looked pointedly at the two warlocks, motioning for them to sit. “I think everyone in this room deserves an answer to what it was that the two of you were doing over the last month.”

“It is none of your concern,” Edward started, but she snorted at that. At least Nathaniel had the sense to sit down, while her brother remained standing. 

“Oh, but it is, brother,” Zelda replied, before taking another drag. “From what I’ve gathered, you left believing that the Anti Papacy has been putting our niece through various trials that could have killed her and were going to handle the threat.”

Edward’s lips thinned at that, not liking the sharp intake of breath that their younger sister took. "This is not a conversation to be had in this room. In front of them.”

“It involves _me_. Of course I should know what the answer is!” Sabrina protested, glowering at her father. 

“The child can hardly protect herself if she doesn’t know what she’s up against, Edward,” Zelda continued. “None of us can if you keep things from us.”

“It’s been handled. That’s all that matters,” he replied before turning on his heel. He didn’t make it far, slamming into an invisible barrier. “Zelda, tell me you didn’t spell the entryway.”

Zelda simply raised a shoulder, flicking more ash into the tray. “None of us are leaving this room until some answers are supplied, Edward, so I suggest you start supplying them.”

“It wasn’t them,” Edward informed them as he turned around. He still hadn’t sat down, but Hilda did, reaching over for Ambrose’s hand to steady herself as she did so.

“It wasn’t the Anti Papacy’s doing?” Hilda looked around the table, taking in everyone else’s confusion, aside from Nathaniel who grimaced.

“No,” Edward supplied, before letting out a sigh. “It wasn’t done to prove you’re not a witch either, Sabrina.” 

“Then why?” she asked, grateful when Nick took hold of her hand. 

“To showcase how powerful you are,” Nathaniel replied, and they looked over at him. 

“By who?” Zelda demanded, trying to figure out who in the world would want to know how much power her niece had. Her gaze narrowed as she looked at her brother, fleetingly wondering if he’d somehow done this to the girl, but the anguish in his expression was genuine.

“You know who,” Edward replied, locking his gaze with hers and she sank back against the chair at that, waving a hand and undoing the boundary spell.

“Do we get to be filled in on the answer to that?” Ambrose asked as he leaned forward, noting that all of the older ones seemed to be on the same page, but it was obvious that the younger group was still confused. 

“No,” Edward replied, holding up a hand as the others opened their mouths, ready to protest that. 

“Aunties!” Sabrina looked over at them. Surely one of them would fill them in on what was happening. 

“Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to,” Hilda started, looking over at her brother. “We all know they’re only going to keep looking into things and most likely come across it anyway.”

“She has a point there,” Nathaniel agreed, looking over at his son, knowing the stubborn set of the boy’s mouth all too well. 

Edward let out a sigh before finally sitting down. “Lilith.”

“Why would she care if I’m powerful or not?” Sabrina asked, brows furrowed at the idea of it.

“She has a vested interest in all of you,” Nathaniel replied, taking the cup of tea that Hilda offered. 

“All of us?” Nick asked, brow arched.

“The children of our covens,” Edward told them as he reached out, accepting a cup as well. 

“Why?” Sabrina shook her head at the one offered to her.

“Seventeen witchlings all born in a five year span. Do you have any idea how rare that is?” Zelda asked, strumming her nails along the table top. “Most covens are lucky to have three or four every hundred years or so.” 

“Unlike the other covens, we venerate her,” Edward reminded, before blowing on his tea.

“So what, she wants to acknowledge that?” Nick asked, trying to figure out the reasoning.

“No. She wants to show that doing so has benefits for the children that no others have seen before,” Edward replied, before shaking his head, knowing the boy was going to ask why. “I don’t pretend to understand Our Lady of Darkness’ motives, children.”

“But why only test Sabrina?” Ambrose asked, gesturing toward his cousin.

“So far, she’s only tested her,” Edward replied, and the younger three looked at one another, not quite sure how to take that implication.

“You think she’ll start testing the rest of us?” Nick asked, looking at their two fathers. Hilda nearly dropped the tea pot at that, her hands shaking. 

“We’re not sure,” Edward replied as he rose, moving to help his youngest sister. 

“She wasn’t too forthcoming with that answer,” Nathaniel added, before setting his cup down on the table.

“You spoke with Lilith?” Ambrose asked, brows raising at that.

“And the Dark Lord. That is part of my job as High Priest,” Edward reminded, rubbing at his sister’s back before taking the kettle from her. 

“Were you in Hell?” Ambrose asked, unable to hide his excitement over the prospect of that.

“No, Ambrose. Simply the Unholy Lands,” Edward replied before turning back to them. “But the matter has been handled, Sabrina. You’ve passed each test with flying colors.”

“The fire one never happened though,” Nick pointed out and she nodded along with that. There was still supposed to be one more.

“It seems that one isn’t necessary,” her father replied, and she didn’t like how tired he looked at that moment. “Now, can we please be finished with this conversation? Nathaniel and I still have some set up to do for the gathering tomorrow night.”

Sabrina, Nick and Ambrose left the other in the kitchen and headed out to the front porch together after gathering their coats. “What do you guys think?” Ambrose asked as he leaned against the doorway.

“I think they’re not telling us everything,” Nick muttered as he glanced back toward the window.

“Probably, but that was more than I thought we’d get out of them,” Ambrose pointed out and they had to nod to that. “You two told them about what you managed yet?”

Sabrina shook her head. “Well. I say we table this until after the holiday ends and focus on enjoying the rest of Yule,” her cousin suggested, nodding to the two of them before heading back inside.

“What do you want to do?” Nick asked, shifting the bag in between his hands. 

She pressed her lips together as she considered that. “The answers will still be there waiting for us to uncover them in seven days anyway.”

“True,” he agreed before bumping his shoulder into hers. “And I am kind of looking forward to marking off all of these traditions you want to get me to do with you.” He held up the bag, reminding her that they already had plans for the day.

It would also be nice to have some time to process what they’d been told before trying to uncover anything else. 

Sabrina adjusted the scarf around Nick’s neck, tugging his down so she could kiss him. “Let’s go build a snowman.”

“Is that what we’re doing?” Nick asked, the items in the bag suddenly making a lot more sense.

“Gotta start dwindling down that list I made,” she murmured as the two started down the stairs.

* * *

Nick wandered through the passageway of the mortuary, looking through the old black and white photographs hung on the walls. The Spellmans all seemed to be out of the house for the afternoon--Hilda and Zelda off gathering supplies for dinner that night, Ambrose in the wind, while Edward and Sabrina had headed off for some father-daughter time at Cerberus’ together. They’d invited him along, but Nick hadn’t wanted to intrude on an outing that he knew Sabrina held dear, even if they would have been happy to have him there.

A bit of quiet was welcomed after the chaos of the last few weeks. He loved this family dearly, but after so many years of the stillness of the Scratch manor Nick needed to retreat to silence every so often. He exited the passageway and headed into the library, intent on finding a book to get lost in for the next hour or so, but paused in the doorway when he spotted his father taking up space in one of the chairs. 

It seemed he’d had the same idea. 

Nick readied to turn around and head up to Sabrina’s room for one of her horror novels instead, when Nathaniel looked up. Dione did as well from her spot at his father’s feet, canting her head towards him, before his father motioned for him to enter fully and sit down beside him. 

It was odd to see the man still wearing the sweater they’d received earlier in the week, a stark contrast from the usual grays and blacks. “This place suits you,” Nathaniel told Nick once he’d sat down. “This household and this family.” 

Nick wasn’t sure how he was supposed to reply to that. Part of him wanted to agree, but another part wondered if this was his father’s way of saying he didn’t belong at their home. “The sweater is new, but most of these traditions are ones they’ve been doing since we were all children,” his father continued, closing the book he’d been perusing. “I hated coming to them when I was young. They were always so vibrant, so cheerful even with Zelda’s ability to cut one down to size with a simple look.”

He set the book to the side as he rose and headed over to retrieve a framed photo from one of the bookshelves. Nick took it from him when it was offered, eyes widening as he saw his parents together with the Spellmans at a different Yule celebration. “Your mother was always a fan of them though,” Nathaniel continued and Nick looked up at that, spotting the flash of pain in his father’s gaze before his lips pressed together, emotion stripped from his features. 

“Did you come to them often?” Nick asked as he looked back at the photo, fingers ghosting over his mother’s image. They hadn’t come to any since he’d been born, not that he could remember anyway.

“Every ten years or so,” his father replied as he leaned back against the chair. “She’d planned on having us all attend that year…” Nick looked up, seeing another flash of pain and didn’t need any further explanation. It had to have been the year she’d died. “It wasn’t for ten months but she’d been talking about it non-stop, wanting me to let Hilda know so she could start planning to add the three of us.”

Nick’s lips tugged into a smile at that. It didn’t surprise him at all that his mother would have wanted to let Hilda know early. For as carefree as she’d been, she had always been a meticulous planner as well. “Do you remember when I brought you back here?” his father asked and Nick gripped the photograph tightly, nodding.

How could he possibly ever forget that day? Even if so much of those months surrounding her death had been a blur. “Your mother always said that once you and Sabrina realized you had romantic feelings toward one another and acted upon those that there would be no turning back,” Nathaniel continued and Nick didn’t know how the two conversations were linked. “I didn’t think much of it--your mother always had a romantic streak after all--but then I understood what she meant when I saw the two of you together when we returned.”

Nick wasn’t sure what his father was talking about for a moment, brow furrowed as he tried to grasp hold of memories. “You didn’t let yourself cry until she was there,” Nathaniel said as he moved to look out the window.

He’d been too numb to allow any tears to fall after his mother’s death, his whole world uprooted as his father had taken him to Greendale to live fulltime with him. It had been a whirlwind of condolences from so many people those first few days until they’d stepped back into the manor and Nick remembered steeling himself for more of that as the covens had come to offer their sympathies before the burial. Sabrina had broken away from her aunts as soon as she’d spotted him, ignoring Zelda’s calls for her and pushing past everyone else in the line to get to him. 

She’d never hesitated from hugging him and Nick remembered how grateful he’d been that she hadn’t that day either. Everyone else had offered up words, but no one had managed to really reach out and touch him. He hadn’t been able to stop the tears from flowing once she’d wrapped her arms around him. Nick wasn’t sure how long he’d clung to her before Edward had helped get the two of them to his mother’s old office so he could continue to sob without an audience present. Sabrina had stayed with him, stroking her hands through his hair without ever saying a word. 

“You’ll do well at these gatherings,” Nathaniel continued and Nick looked up, not expecting to see the man standing in front of him. “They suit you in ways they don’t me.”

He reached over and squeezed his son’s shoulder before heading out of the room, his familiar on his heels. Nick watched him go, unable to shake the confusion that had settled over him as he tried to make sense of their conversation. Salem entered the room, heading straight over to him and jumped up into his lap. The familiar pressed his head into Nick’s stomach, purring softly before nudging one of the warlock’s hands. 

“Looking out for me, huh?” Nick murmured, slowly stroking the cat’s head before snorting at Salem’s reply.

* * *

Winter had rolled into Greendale, leaving a heavy dumping of snow and causing its covens to dress in far more layers than they usually did during their rituals. Sabrina was trying not to laugh at the variety of hats, gloves and scarf combinations dotting the large group of witches and warlocks moving throughout the Scratch’s backyard. The bonfire roared in the middle of them as she headed through the group, making small talk with those who turned in her direction, seeking out conversation.

Zelda had warned her that they would probably do so after she and Nicholas had done such a phenomenal job with the Feast of Feasts’ celebration, doling out various reminders on witch etiquette and her role as the High Priest’s daughter. She rubbed at her nose as she finally managed to reach Nick, letting out a sigh as he locked arms with her. 

“I do not know how you do this,” she murmured as they headed closer to the bonfire together.

“Do what?” Nick asked as he nodded at Gerald and Wade.

“All of the schmoozing,” she replied, offering up a smile to the two warlocks as well before they found a spot around the fire.

“You’ll get used to it.” Nick shifted so that he was standing behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “The key is talking to a few important people and then sneaking off to hole up with the other High Priest’s kid.”

“Is that so?” Sabrina laughed as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

It’s what he’d done for the last few years. “Though, I think we won’t just be reading books together this year,” Nick suggested and she leaned back against him at that, placing her hand against his.

“I can think of a few other activities we could get up to,” Sabrina agreed, enjoying the way he squeezed her a little tighter at that. 

“I believe we’re all here now,” they heard her father call out and everyone turned toward him. 

He was standing over to the side with Nathaniel beside him. Fathers Blackwood and Highmore stood behind them. “If we could all form the circles.” He looked through the group of people, gaze resting on Sabrina and Nick before nodding at them. 

“That’s our cue to get the witchlings together,” Nick murmured, letting go of her before motioning for the others to head with them to their side of the bonfire. 

Ambrose was collecting his generation into its own circle while the aunts and most of the parents joined their fathers in another one. “We actually get our own circle this year?” Gerald asked as he moved to stand beside Nick.

“Better not mess it up,” Prudence snipped as she arrived with her sisters, looking around at some of those she thought weren’t as skilled as they were. 

“We’ve all been doing this spell since we were kids, Pru,” Nick pointed out. They could all do it in their sleep at that point. He nodded toward Melvin who moved forward with the goat, tugging it to stand in front of Nick before handing over the ceremonial dagger. 

“We call upon the Dark Lord, to thank him for the bounty of this year,” Nick started, the others echoing his words as he sliced into the goat’s throat, spilling the blood into the bowl that had been placed below. “For the knowledge, passion, and freedom we have been able to embrace and partake in.”

He picked up the bowl as the goat collapsed to the ground, blood pooling in the snow around it. Nick dipped his fingers into the blood and wiped it across his forehead before passing the bowl over to Sabrina to allow her to do the same and pass it on to the next person.

Energy whirled through them, their magic rising as each of them said their own silent thanks for something the Dark Lord had helped them with throughout the year, pledging another year forward in his name. Nick reached over and gave Sabrina’s hand a squeeze, smiling as he felt her reciprocate it. 

“We call upon Lilith, to help dole out the same to us in the months to come,” Sabrina continued once the last of them had wiped the blood across their foreheads, fulfilling the new part she’d been assigned now that she was of age. “We ask for it to be plentiful, emboldening us to take what we wish, and enjoy the freedom that is ours.”

The energy released around them, floating up into the air as it did for the other two circles before it crashed down and outward into the snow around them, disappearing into the ether. 

One of the adults joined them at point and gathered up the goat to be prepared for future meals. “And now, the festivities can begin,” Prudence turned from them, heading off to engage in some fun as the others all started to scatter as well. 

“Do the two of you want to join us?” Gerald asked, arm slung around Lavina’s shoulders as he looked at Sabrina and Nick. “We thought we would see if we could beat out last year’s...activities.”

“Maybe even manage to make it to the morning light this time?” Lavina suggested, reaching over to run her hand down Sabrina’s sleeve.

Nick had never felt Sabrina stiffen as quickly as she did at that moment and shook his head as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “No thanks, but have fun,” Nick told them before tugging her away from the two. She still felt entirely too stiff to him.

“You can go--”

He stopped walking at that, turning to face her and cupped her cheeks in his hands, not liking the uncertainty that he saw in her gaze. “Sabrina,” he started as her gloved hands pressed against his. 

“I feel like I’m holding you back,” she murmured, nose scrunching in frustration with herself. 

“You’re not, Spellman,” he tried to assure her.

But she shook her head. “Nick.”

“Do I get to hold your hand?” he urged, and she nodded at that as he pressed his forehead against hers. 

“Of course, but…” she started, sighing softly as his nose brushed against hers.

“Then we’re good,” he promised, before tugging her toward the house. 

She stopped though and he turned to look at her, arching a brow at how affronted she looked in that moment and followed her gaze. Nick let out a chuckle as he spotted her cousin and Prudence chatting together, the two of them standing much closer to one another than they normally did. 

“Please, no,” Sabrina muttered as Prudence drew her hand down her cousin’s arm before Nick tugged her on.

“If you try to say anything to him he’ll just buckle down harder on doing something to annoy you,” Nick reminded, lips twitching as she grumbled at that. “Now, come on. We said we were going to exchange gifts after this.”

She perked up at that, moving a little faster to get inside of the Scratch manor and out of the cold. “Oh! There you two are!” Hilda nodded for the two of them to come over as she worked to hold a heavy platter of an assortment of baked treats. “Can you please go get the drinks for me?”

“Of course, auntie,” Sabrina told her as Nick helped her with getting the platter onto the table with the rest of the treats. 

“We’ll be right back with them, Ms. Spellman,” Nick assured her as the two of them headed off toward the kitchen. 

They stopped short of the door, hearing the voices of their fathers and others, the two exchanging quick looks before trying to stick to the shadows as best they could. “It was felt everywhere in town, Edward,” Zelda informed him, and Sabrina frowned at the worry she could hear in her voice. She hadn’t sounded like that when she’d brought it up in front of them nearly a week ago. “From what I’ve gathered it managed to reach across the Sweetwater river and be felt in Riverdale as well. They considered it an earthquake.”

“It caused the top of the altar to slide off. We were able to fix it but that’s not usually possible,” Father Highmore added and Sabrina reached for Nick’s hand, needing to feel him as her heartbeat started to speed up.

“Did you determine the epicenter of it?” Edward asked, and Nick noted the severity of his tone.

“No,” Blackwood replied.

“Have you asked the coven if anyone was experimenting with magic?” Nathaniel asked, and Nick squeezed Sabrina’s hand as he spotted Dione moving out of the kitchen and staring at the two of them.

“We thought it best to leave that to you,” Father Highmore told them and Nick didn’t bother keeping to the shadows any longer, knowing his father’s familiar was going to out the two of them at any moment.

Sabrina wouldn’t let him release her hand though, moving forward with him into the archway that led into the kitchen. “What have we told you about eavesdropping?” Zelda demanded as she spotted the two of them, lips pursed as the others turned to look at them.

“Aunt Hilda asked us to bring out the tray of drinks,” Sabrina motioned toward the glasses just behind them. She gave Nick’s hand a squeeze before glancing over at him. No words were needed as his gaze met hers before they turned to look back at the group.

“We might know what caused that incident the other week,” Nick started and Zelda leaned against the kitchen island, nails drumming across the table as her brother beckoned them into the room.

“And you didn’t think to say anything?” Zelda snapped, looking between the two of them.

“We didn’t think it was a big deal!” Sabrina protested, knowing that wouldn’t assuage her aunt much.

“You made it seem like it wasn’t,” Nick pointed out, earning a glare from Zelda.

“What do you think caused it?” Edward asked, trying to get the conversation to steer back to where it needed to be.

They hesitated for a moment, glancing at one another again before turning their focus to him. “Us,” they replied together.

“You?” Nathaniel arched a brow at that, while Blackwood snorted.

“We’ve been working off a theory that if you combine two magics together you might be able to create something new and more powerful,” Nick explained and Sabrina nodded along with that.

“It’s our thesis for our independent study,” she added, keeping her attention on her father.

“We were trying it out again and well…” Nick shrugged. “It worked.”

“You combined your magic?” his father asked, looking between the two of them.

“You mean bolstered one another, don’t you? It’s fairly typical for that to happen when you’re working together,” Zelda prodded and they shook their heads. 

“No.” Nick took a breath, trying to figure out how best to explain it. “It became something new. This...white light--” He glanced over at Sabrina who nodded. That’s how she would have described it as well. “We stopped what we were doing once we realized it was shaking the school and set off the fire alarm.”

“We didn’t realize how far it expanded until later,” Sabrina added, her father’s expression still unreadable to her. 

“Alright, that answers that then,” he finally stated after a moment before motioning to the drinks behind him. “Get the drinks and go back to the festivities.”

They hurried to do so, noticing the look being exchanged between the elders as they headed out of the rooms with the trays. Once they had deposited them where Hilda needed them to go, the two hurried up to Nick’s room. He locked the door behind them and quickly put up a sound spell to deter anyone listening in. 

“What do you think?” Sabrina asked, wringing her hands in front of her as she replayed the conversation.

“They weren’t angry about it but…” Nick started, shaking his head as he moved to sit down on the side of the bed.

“Not expecting it,” Sabrina murmured as she sat down beside him. Except that didn’t quite seem right either.

“I don’t know. The way our fathers looked at one another…” Nick replied, as he reached over to take hold of her hand. He didn’t like how she kept pulling at her fingers, her anxiety steadily growing.

“You think they were expecting it?” Sabrina looked over at him. 

“Maybe?” It was hard to say. They’d need to talk to the two about it later on. They probably weren’t going to manage to get anything else out of them that night. “I think it’s something they’ll want to talk to us about later on. Without the others around.”

She had a feeling he was probably right about that. Did this have to do with why Lilith was watching their generation maybe?

Nick reached up, cupping her cheek. “But, enough of that. Gift exchange time, right?” 

Sabrina closed her eyes as she took a breath, leaning into his touch. It soothed the worry that was trying to take hold and she nodded, wanting to get back into the more festive mindset. There would be time to worry about things tomorrow. “I’m going first,” she told him as she opened her eyes, poking him in the side when he laughed at that. 

She picked up the neatly wrapped present she’d left on his bed earlier in the day and handed it over, sitting cross legged as she waited for him to open it. He took his time, carefully undoing the wrapping paper and she clasped her hands against her knees, holding back from reaching over to hurry him along. He pulled the black box out of the wrapping paper, arching a brow as he opened it to reveal a leather bound journal with a wolf that looked very similar to Amalia on the front.

"You always said you wanted to start doing your own journals. Jotting down your own theories and things," Sabrina told him as Nick held the book in his hands. "Aunt Hilda showed me how to do the binding and Ambrose has been working with me on etchings so…"

Nick ran his fingers along the etching, taking in all of the minute details, and knew this had to have taken her hours to do. “I love it, Spellman.”

He handed over the blue wrapped box, smaller than the one she’d given him, and laughed as she hurriedly tore into it. “Someone’s eager,” Nick murmured, enjoying the way she scrunched her nose at that. 

She grinned as she opened the box that had been inside of it, finding a necklace with a diamond on the end. “It’s from a set of my mom’s earrings,” Nick explained as she ran her finger over the jewel before holding it out and turning so he could help her put it on. 

“I love it,” she murmured as he locked the clasp around her neck, her fingers still running along the diamond, turning back to him when he was finished. 

They heard the coven’s voices ringing through the air--inside of the manor and out along the expansive grounds--as they counted down the seconds until the new year rang in.

Nick reached over, thumb brushing at Sabrina’s lips and she caught his hand, biting at it just enough to elicit a sharp inhale from him. Her grin was wicked as he tugged her down with him, stifling the laugh she nearly got out as he kissed her. Nick was hopeful that the tradition of how one ended up spending those last few moments of the year was a glimpse of what the year ahead would look like. 

A year full with Sabrina Spellman at his side, kissing him, was exactly how he wanted each and every single year going forward to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed Yule with the Spellmans and Scratches! I'd written this weeks before the finale aired but some happy times with them seemed like it was needed around now. 
> 
> Next time is some more family time, Fright Club is reunited, Sabrina and Nick have a discussion with their dads and then they do something they proooobaly shouldn't have. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


	14. unraveling

“It’s a good thing this place got stocked yesterday for the gathering,” Nick commented as he pulled out the vegetables they needed from the fridge. 

Sabrina was humming as she broke a few eggs into a large bowl. “I was kind of wondering if you guys even had the basics.”

Nick chuckled at that as he moved to stand beside her, handing over some of the loot that he’d grabbed for her to start chopping as well. “Only because Ms. Bilgen needs them in order to keep us fed.” 

“At least there’s room for all of the containers of leftovers my aunt is going to make sure you guys have once everyone decides to wake up and get moving,” Sabrina murmured, trying not to frown at her own words. With Yule officially over she knew it was only a matter of time before Nick and his father moved back into the manor they were currently standing in. 

Nick leaned over, pressing a kiss to her cheek. It was going to take some time adjusting to not waking up with her beside him, but he was still figuring out how to keep that going. It wasn’t like he couldn’t just teleport over to the Spellman’s place every night and back here in the morning. Or at least a few times a week. 

“Where did you two sneak off to?” Ambrose asked as he slid into the kitchen, hopping up onto the counter beside Sabrina. He snagged one of the slices of zucchini that she was working on and quickly popped it into his mouth, ignoring the knife she pointed at him in warning.

“Couldn’t the same be asked of you?” Nick replied as he added the thinly sliced bits of ham to the egg bowl.

“Please tell me it wasn’t Prudence,” Sabrina groaned, pouting when Ambrose simply whistled in reply. 

“Do you want me to lie to you cousin?” he asked as he reached for another piece to snag, quickly yanking his hand away when she sent the knife at it.

Sabrina wrinkled her nose in disgust. At least it didn’t mean anything. Her cousin would no doubt move onto a new conquest in the next few days. As would Prudence. 

“So what were the two of you up to?” Ambrose continued, looking the two of them over for any hints they might not verbally give him. Pity that his cousin’s ears weren’t turning red like he’d hoped.

“Ringing in the new year,” Sabrina replied as she shrugged.

“Oh?” he prodded, glancing over at Nick for any hints but the warlock was busy with his chopping. 

“We exchanged gifts,” Sabrina told him as she tugged the necklace out from under her shirt, leaning toward Ambrose so that he could see it better.

Ambrose whistled again before nodding at the diamond at the end. “It’s nice to see that your father’s exquisite taste didn’t skip a generation.”

Nick smirked at that before handing over his phone for Ambrose to look at a picture of the journal. “You two really are going full throttle with the coupley thing,” her cousin murmured as he looked at the photo, brow raised in appreciation before handing it back over. He wasn’t sure if that was endearing or sickeningly sweet. Probably a bit of both with the two of them.

“Hello, my loves!” Hilda greeted as she breezed into the kitchen, tying an apron around her waist. Sabrina wasn’t sure where she’d even retrieved it from. Had she packed it in her overnight bag? “What are we in the mood for this morning?”

“Oh no, we’re cooking, auntie,” Sabrina informed her, amused by the way her aunt nearly stumbled over her own feet at that.

“What?” Hilda looked over at the two of them, noting the vegetables and other items they were working on.

“You deserve to be cooked for too,” Nick told her, grinning at her surprise. 

“What are you two making?” Ambrose asked, reaching over to grab a piece of the ham. He pulled his hand back as Sabrina whacked it, rubbing it gingerly as their fathers and Zelda headed into the kitchen as well.

“They’re making us breakfast,” Hilda informed the others, much to their amusement.

The kettle and coffee maker both went off at that point, alerting Sabrina to the fact that they were ready. She waved everyone off. “We’ll bring out some coffee and tea and breakfast should be ready in…”

“Thirty minutes,” Nick offered up as he added the rest of their ingredients to the bowl before he started to mix them. 

Ambrose grabbed a piece of the ham before heading with the others to wait in the living room. Sabrina entered a few moments later with a tray of coffee and tea cups, passing them around to everyone before she headed back out. 

“Do we think they’re doing this out of the goodness of their hearts?” Edward asked as he sipped at his coffee.

“Or are they after something?” Zelda offered up as she added some cream to hers.

“It’s a toss up with the two of them,” Nathaniel commented as Dione came to rest beside him. Rhea made her way into the room as well, finding a spot beside Edward. 

“Oh pish!” Hilda shook her head at the lot of them. “They’re both very sweet children--”

“When they want to be,” Ambrose pointed out, ducking his head at the look she gave him.

“Who simply want to show us their appreciation,” Hilda continued, not wanting to hear any further discussion about supposed ulterior motives. 

Salem wandered into the room at that, looking around at all of them before hurrying over to Ambrose as Rhea looked over at him. He jumped onto the warlock’s lap, settling down for a continuation of his morning pets. 

“Did you settle on a familiar that you want?” Zelda asked as she looked over at the two, watching her nephew give into the cat’s demands. 

“I’m thinking I might take a page out of Sabrina’s book and go out into the woods and ask if anyone’s available,” Ambrose replied as he looked down at the black cat. “It seemed to work out fairly well for her.” And choosing from the large book of familiars was proving harder the second time around, his thoughts continuously returning to the cobra he’d had decades before.

“I think that’s a lovely idea,” Hilda told him, offering up a small smile while Zelda snorted. 

“There is nothing wrong with the vetted and trained familiars offered up in that catalogue,” his aunt started but Ambrose shook his head. 

“Trained by the Anti Papacy,” Ambrose pointed out, silencing anything else she might have said. He wanted nothing that came from that organization, even if the branch that ran the familiar registry was the furthest removed from any sort of actual power.

“The Greendale woods is full of familiars,” Edward offered up, nodding toward his nephew. “You’ll have a plethora of choices there.”

“Breakfast is ready,” Nick told the group from the doorway after a few more minutes before heading off into the dining room. The others followed after him, pleased to see the egg bake casserole, fruit salad, and biscuits that were set out for them to enjoy. 

“When did you learn to make this?” Hilda asked as she took her seat, glancing over at Sabrina and Nick.

“My mom taught me,” Nick told her, looking over at his father who was staring at the dish the egg bake was set in. It was the same one his mother had used to use when she cooked it.

“And I do actually watch when you’re cooking, Aunt Hilda,” Sabrina added as she passed the fruit salad around.

Ambrose didn’t waste any time, taking a bite of the egg casserole as the others were still doling out their portions. Much to his surprise it was good. “It’s actually edible. Flavorful even.” 

“Such little faith in us,” Nick tsked as he shook his head before reaching for Sabrina’s hand under the table to give it a squeeze as the others started eating. All of them seemed to enjoy it, causing him to grin at her. 

After how easily included his father and he had been in all of the Spellman traditions, he’d wanted to do something to thank them. Breakfast before they went their separate ways seemed like a good way to start. Even if he wasn’t quite ready to start living in the stillness of the Scratch manor again, going back to the uneasy status quo with his father.

The door to the Spellman mortuary was always open to him though. He glanced over at Sabrina who was laughing at something Ambrose was saying to her. Maybe he wouldn’t hesitate to knock on it this year like he used to. After all he had another reason to head over there even more than he used to now. 

“Is your business in Slovenia still a priority or are you tabling it for the foreseeable future?” Zelda asked, shattering the pleasant atmosphere that had curled around all of them and bringing them crashing back into reality.

Edward frowned, lips pursed in annoyance as he looked over at her. “Is now really the time for that discussion?”

“When would it be better?” his sister asked, raising her cup of coffee. “In the middle of the night after you’ve packed up and are ready to slink away into it without a word?”

“That is not what happened,” Edward replied and Sabrina let out a sigh, having heard variations of this conversation several times over by then.

“We seem to recall matters differently,” Zelda supplied before taking a drink.

“You usually do,” Hilda muttered from beside her before nodding toward the casserole dish. “Can I have some more please?”

“Of course, auntie,” Ambrose doled her out another piece, rolling his eyes as he looked over at his cousin. And they liked to say that they were the immature ones.

“We should be able to hold off on what needs to be done there for another week or two,” Nathaniel offered up as he wiped his mouth with the napkin. 

“And how long will you be gone for this time around?” Zelda continued, not backing down no matter the look she was receiving from her brother.

“I’d say another week or two should do it,” Nathaniel replied, and Zelda nodded at that before looking over at Nick.

“You’re free to move back in once that happens, Nicholas,” she told him before looking around at the others. “Since we all know that means a month at the very least.”

Nick nodded, not sure he wanted to verbally reply as they watched the looks volleyed back and forth between Zelda and Edward. “We’ve got plans to go meet up with Roz and the others,” Sabrina started as she rose, Nick quickly following suit.

“And I’ve got to get going to help open up Cerberus’s,” Hilda added as she rose too. 

“I should go get started on that spell for a familiar,” Ambrose suggested as he rose too, following the others out of the room and away from the steady tension that kept rising.

“What do you think the chances are of Aunt Zee putting him in the Cain pit today?” Ambrose murmured as he grabbed his coat from the closet with the others.

“It’s not something I want to wait around to find out,” Hilda replied before giving each of their cheeks a kiss and exiting the manor. 

“Familiar spell?” Sabrina asked as she pulled on her mittens. “I thought you were going to pick from the book?”

“Decided to follow after you this time?” Ambrose told her as he wrapped his scarf around his neck. “Figured Salem might like another ruffian roaming around the mortuary with him.” He nodded to the two of them before exiting the manor as well.

Sabrina sighed as she heard the rising voices of her aunt and father before Nick tugged her out of the house as well, closing the door behind them. “Yule is definitely over,” she muttered as he wrapped his arm around her, hugging her close. 

“But new year, new beginnings,” Nick pointed out before leaning over to kiss her nose, pleased that brought out a smile from her as they took hold of one another’s hand. “Want to walk to the meet up? We’ve got the time.”

She nodded, giving his hand a squeeze as they headed down the stairs and out onto the fresh fallen snow. Going on a walk with her boyfriend through the winter wonderland seemed like the best way to erase the yelling that was happening behind them.

* * *

“It’s been so long.” Roz hugged Sabrina tighter, squishing Nick further into the booth as the two sat down.

"Fifteen days,” Theo pointed out as he slid onto the opposite booth beside Harvey.

The two girls glared over at him before resuming their hug. “I’m just trying not to think about the fact that school starts back up on Monday,” Harvey muttered as Cee dropped off their order. 

Nick had to agree with that. As much as he enjoyed school, it seemed like they had basically blinked and suddenly it was time to start up again. “You’d think we could get at least one more day off.”

“Only when the first falls on the weekend,” Theo reminded before munching on a fry. 

“Your dads made it back in time?” Roz asked once she finally disentangled herself from Sabrina. 

Sabrina nodded. “Thankfully, yeah, but we still got to do the stuff we’d planned.” 

“My dad and I joined the Spellmans for the whole holiday,” Nick added, resting his arm over Sabrina’s shoulder before he started to stroke his fingers through her hair. 

She couldn’t help the little shiver that ran through her every time that he did so, leaning a little further into him as she waved her hand to retrieve the ketchup bottle. “But now we’re going to be back to separate houses,” she pouted, looking over at him. 

Nick leaned over, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips before Theo hit him with a french fry. “Get a room,” Theo teased, grinning over at the two of them. Even Harvey was smiling, no sign of awkwardness to it like there had been those first few weeks. 

“How was everyone else’s holiday?” Nick asked, tossing a fry over at Theo who tried to catch it in his mouth. 

“Pretty good. Dad and Uncle Jesse have started up their band again,” Theo replied, shaking his head as he remembered the two playing music in between working on the farm. “They’re not too bad.”

“I am so happy to be in my own bed again,” Roz let out a happy sigh, thankful for the return to some peace and quiet. 

“And I got a lot of drawing done. I might submit a few more pieces this year for the art contest,” Harvey told them and everyone nodded along with that.

“You should, Harvey,” Roz told him, the others agreeing with that. “There’s a cash prize, right?”

“Depending on how you place, yeah,” Harvey nodded. “First place is a thousand which could be good for college.” After he convinced his father that he was attending and not joining the family business in the mines anyway. 

“Were your dads able to stop everything that’s happening?” Roz asked, leaning on her elbow so she could get a better look at the two. 

Sabrina furrowed her brow at the question, Nick’s hands stilling briefly in her hair. “Apparently it wasn’t the Anti Papacy who was causing the issue,” he told them, watching as the three leaned closer, eyes wide at that. 

“But then who’s testing you, Brina?” Theo asked, looking over at his friend.

“Lilith,” she murmured, still not quite sure what any of that meant. “We kind of tabled the research after learning that.”

“We decided that we wanted to enjoy the holiday first,” Nick explained and she nodded along with that. “The books and answers would still be around after the new year.”

“I think that’s fair,” Roz started, Harvey and Theo nodding in agreement. “It can’t be research all the time. Not even for you two who love books so much.”

“How did they figure out it was her though?” Theo asked, before taking a bite of his burger.

“They talked to her and the Dark Lord,” Sabrina replied and he nearly choked on the bite then. Harvey hit him on the back, helping to dislodge the bit that had nearly gone down the wrong pipe. 

“He just chatted with the devil?” Theo asked, brows fitting together as he tried to understand.

“Like through prayer?” Roz asked. That was how her father and the other parishioners talked to God. 

“No, they had an audience with him,” Nick explained, taking in all of their shocked expressions. 

“With the devil? You can actually hold a conversation with the devil?” Roz blinked, her brain short-circuiting for a moment as she tried to comprehend that.

“Doesn’t your dad do that with the...God?” Sabrina asked, looking over at her friend. 

“Not exactly, no?” Roz murmured, before dipping her fry into the ketchup. “Through prayer, yes, but not like...we’re having right now?”

“Huh.” Nick arched a brow at that. “Our High Priests usually hold meetings with him once a year or so. Others are in direct contact with him more regularly.” 

“Wow,” Theo murmured, while Roz leaned back, mouth opened as she kept trying to make sense of any of it. 

“They’re planning on heading off again soon to complete whatever they were doing in Slovenia, too,” Sabrina muttered, pushing around at the plate of fries she was sharing with Nick. 

“At least I’ll be able to stay over again once that happens,” Nick pointed out, bringing out a small smile from her. 

“Only good thing about it,” she murmured before pressing a kiss to his lips. 

Theo threw another fry at them, which had the two throwing one at him as well, all of them laughing as it hit the younger boy on the nose. The conversation continued to flow, discussing gifts and funny moments over the last week or so, before they all started gathering their coats. Roz nudged Sabrina in the side before nodding over toward the book side of the store. 

She followed Roz’s gaze, arching a brow as she spotted her aunt and Dr. Cee standing far closer together than they ever had before. It was the way her aunt Hilda laughed though, touching the store owner’s arm that had Sabrina tugging on Nick’s sleeve. Even better was the big grin Dr. Cee continued to have as he looked at Hilda before he was pulled away to cook something else. 

Hilda watched him go before spotting the group of them looking over at her. They all gave her a thumbs up and she waved them off, cheeks turning a bit red as she headed to finish restocking the shelves. 

“Who do you think will make the first actual move?” Nick murmured as he wrapped his arms around Sabrina’s waist once they were out in the snow. The others had already headed off in different directions. 

“It could really go either way,” Sabrina told him as she twisted around so they were face to face. She rested her gloved hands on his shoulders as she pressed closer to him. “If Aunt Zee finds out, she’ll give Aunt Hilda the nudge she needs to do it.” 

Or berate her for liking a mortal. It was a toss up. Though Zelda didn't need to be told who Hilda had a crush on...

“Are you going to make sure she finds out?” Nick asked as he rested his forehead against hers. 

“I’ll give it a week but then, yeah, probably,” Sabrina wrapped her hands in the lapels of his jacket and tugged, drawing him closer so she could kiss him better. Her arm itched, indicating a message was coming through and she watched as Nick made a face as well before looking over at his own arm. 

They both pulled up their sleeves, frowning when they read the message. “Looks like we’re being summoned.” Nick let out a sigh and nodded toward the snow covered sidewalk. “I say we walk back.”

Sabrina took hold of his hand and nodded. “It didn’t say we needed to hurry.”

* * *

It wasn’t the first time that the two of them had been summoned by their fathers before, but walking into her father’s study felt heavier that day. Almost as though they were embarking on a turning point that Sabrina hadn’t realized they were walking headlong into. It was easy enough to sit down on one of the overstuffed chairs in front of her father’s desk, almost mimicking the way that her father sat behind it. Nick didn’t sit though, standing behind her chair and looking over at the two warlocks. Nathaniel wasn’t sitting either, standing beside the desk and stroking a hand through his familiar’s fur. 

Salem had spotted them when they’d entered the mortuary, meowing pitifully when he’d spotted Rhea waiting for them before running up the stairs and into her bedroom to wait for his pets. The leopard was trying to sit in for him, head resting in Sabrina’s lap and she stroked her fingers behind the familiar’s ears, making a mental note not to let her guard down with the gentle lawl of the purring.

“What has been going on at the witchling gatherings?” Edward asked as he leaned forward, looking between the two.

“What do you mean?” Nick asked, placing both hands on the back of Sabrina’s chair and leaning forward a little.

“We know you’ve taught the Pendulum configuration to the group. What other tasks have you been working on?” her father continued, nodding toward the empty chair but Nick still didn’t quite move yet.

“It’s been more of that with them and then just some time to get to know one another better,” Nick replied and Sabrina nodded.

“We were trying to figure out which other spell to try out with them next,” she started before glancing up at Nick. “They just want to know more of what we already know.”

“Seemed silly to keep it from them when technically they could check out your books on configuration from the library,” Nick pointed out and Edward nodded, smiling over at the two of them and Nick relaxed a bit. It didn’t seem like they were in trouble.

“But there’s just stuff you don’t quite get from them when it's not the originals,” Sabrina added, looking back over at her father. “Like the page creases.”

“And how they come together to form something else,” Nick continued, finally coming to sit down beside her. 

“What are your plans going forward?” Edward asked, looking between the two of them.

“Um...nothing specific really,” Nick shrugged, glancing over at Sabrina who nodded in agreement with that. 

“Prudence was the one who started them so it was kind of her thing,” Sabrina told them before frowning. “Though I guess...that’s kind of changed.”

“Yeah, after we taught the Pendulum one they’ve been looking to the two of us for what’s happening,” Nick agreed, knowing Prudence hadn’t been too happy with that change. Though she seemed to be appeased a little by Sabrina sharing that one text for her to continue learning from. “Is there something you want us teaching them?”

“What have you found them lacking in?” Nathaniel asked and the two looked over at that. 

“Everyone’s at different levels depending on what they were taught at home and where exactly they are in school,” Nick replied, shrugging again. “So I wouldn’t really qualify it as lacking in anything.” 

“They don’t know any of your things though, daddy,” Sabrina added, and Edward nodded at that. 

“An oversight that needs to be remedied,” he replied with a sigh. “One that I think would work far better coming from the two of you than any of the teachers at the school.”

“Why?” she asked, brow furrowing.

“They were taught different ways,” Nathaniel told her and they looked over at him. “Breaking down the methods that have become ingrained in them is difficult and we’ve found it takes them longer to adapt to new methods. Many of them are still learning what the two of you mastered in a matter of weeks.”

Nick nodded. It made sense that it wouldn’t be as difficult for them to learn Edward’s newer ideas when they had nothing to compare it to. “I’m guessing you’re not seeing the others having an issue with it either?” Edward asked, looking between the two.

“No, they’re picking it up fairly quickly,” Sabrina replied before quirking her lips. “Confidence levels vary, but they’re not having any trouble with it.”

“If I make a list of ones that I think would be appropriate for them to work on, do you think you can start teaching them at the next gatherings?” he asked and Sabrina and Nick glanced at one another. 

“You don’t want to teach them?” Nick asked, curious over why that might be.

“There are a few that I would, but your father and I will be heading to Slovenia soon enough, and I’d rather not hold off on them learning what you already know,” Edward told them, taking in the way Sabrina slouched a bit in the chair at that, lips pulled into a pout at the reminder of their eventual departure. 

“We can teach them,” Nick agreed, reaching over to squeeze her arm. 

“Now, about this combination you’ve managed,” her father started and she sat up a little straighter at that. “Can you tell us in a little more detail about what exactly you did?”

“Perhaps it would help if you showed us?” Nathaniel suggested.

Sabrina’s eyes widened, looking over at Nick as her cheeks reddened. There was no way in Heaven they were showing what they had done to their fathers. 

“We’re still fine tuning it so maybe we should hold off on showing it,” Nick replied, rubbing at her sleeve. He wasn’t sure if touching her was helping her or not in that moment. “But we started out by feeling one another’s magic.”

“Feeling one another’s magic?” Edward asked, arching a brow at how his daughter wasn’t quite looking at them.

“We each did a spell and then just sat there, getting a sense of it,” she murmured, staring at a point on the desk as she tried to get her cheeks to stop burning. 

“And then we were going to do that again,” Nick added, watching as she glanced over at him. “Our emotions got the better of us and while we were kissing the magic combined.”

Edward nodded at that, leaning forward against his desk. “How did it feel?”

“Perfect,” Sabrina replied and Nick gently squeezed her arm. “Freeing.”

“Being whole,” he added and she nodded at that. 

“And you haven’t attempted it again?” Nathaniel asked and Nick looked over at him, spotting the look that passed between his father and Edward.

“We wanted to find somewhere else a little more secure to try it out so we didn’t accidentally release a shockwave again,” Nick replied, wondering if the two had an idea of where they might be able to. Or were they going to be told to not try it again?

He wasn’t sure they could agree to that if they did. 

“The old academy has several wards put in place that the high school doesn’t,” Nathaniel suggested, and Edward nodded. “It’s used by older members of the covens for their own practices but it should be easy enough for the two of you to secure a room there as well to continue to work on this.”

“I’ll inform Sister Guelimja that you’ll need one for the…” Edward looked over at the two of them again, not quite sure what time would be best.

“Twice a week after lunch should do it,” Nick informed him as he looked over at Sabrina.

“Tuesday and Thursday work best for my schedule,” she added, quirking her lips. “My afternoons aren’t all independent studies.”

“Yet,” Nick told her and she grinned at that. 

“I’ll have it set for then,” Edward told them as he rose and turned back toward the bookshelves behind him. He retrieved a text, the binding of them indicating that it was one of the oldest ones from his collection. “You might find this helpful.”

The book floated over to Sabrina and she arched a brow as she took in the title. “The Rites of Lilith.”

“I’ll have the list of spells I think would be best for the others to learn for you by tomorrow,” he continued, and the two nodded before rising once he motioned for them to do so. He rounded the desk, moving to lean against it as he smiled at the two of them. “I am very proud of both of you.” 

Nathaniel nodded in agreement. “You’ve represented your covens beautifully. We’re told the Feast of Feasts went off without a hitch and you did a wonderful job leading your circle during Yule.” 

“There may be a few more ceremonies we’d like you to step in for in the future,” Edward informed them and Nick arched a brow at that.

“Do you think Fathers Highmore and Blackwood are going to agree to that?” he asked, looking between the two High Priests. “You did pick the two of them for a reason.” He wasn’t too sure how to take this addition of responsibility. Part of him yearned for it a bit, this connection to his father, but another didn’t want the added tasks to his plate. Though, it did seem that they wanted Sabrina and him doing it together and he knew that had to mean something. 

He didn’t think it was as simple as the two of them being the High Priests’ kids, but maybe it was?

“And they’ve fulfilled their duties perfectly,” Edward told them. “But the two of you represent our covens ideals. Something neither of them can truly hope to fulfill.” He watched the two look at one another before glancing back at him, unsurprised by their confused expressions. “Faustus may work at the high school but he sticks to the witch side of the school more often than not, failing to integrate with the mortal one.”

“And Father Highmore prefers to handle the day to day matters in regards to the coven as opposed to heading down the paths we’ve been carving out for ourselves,” Nathaniel added, and Nick couldn’t deny that was true. The warlock seemed much more comfortable leading sermons over discussing anything with Reverend Walker.

“The two of you have mortal and witch friends, you interact with both sets on a daily basis at more than a superficial level,” Edward continued and they nodded at that. “We would like some of the gatherings that will be happening in the coming year to include both as well.”

“We haven’t done that before, have we?” Sabrina murmured, brow furrowing as she tried to think if there ever had been a time.

“No. It’s the next phase in the plans,” her father replied, and Nathaniel nodded. “Though, we’re not certain on which ones to start with.”

“Which is where the two of you come in,” Nathaniel told them and Nick quirked his lips.

“What do you mean?” How could they help with that?

“You know what those in your circles would be interested in attending and I have a feeling you also have better insight into what even the older mortals would be alright with experiencing than anyone else in the coven,” Edward replied and Nick couldn’t discount that he was probably correct in his assessment.

“I’d cross Lupercalia off the list right now,” Nick told them, lips twitching in amusement when Sabrina snorted.

“Maybe Beltane?” she offered up and he nodded at that.

“If we invite them for the day part of the ceremonies, yeah,” he agreed. He doubted many would appreciate the rituals that occurred naked while under the moonlight.

“There’s always Ostara, too, if we want something sooner?” Sabrina suggested. 

“Let’s focus on Beltane as our goal for now,” her father told her. “We’ll be having our anniversary in March so I think Ostara might not be as focused on this year. But come up with some ways you can incorporate the town in the Beltane celebration.”

“They seem to enjoy their fairs,” Nathaniel commented with a wry smile. “Maybe it can be linked to something like that.”

“I’d like the ideas by the time we return from Slovenia,” Edward told them and Sabrina frowned at that. 

“When are you planning on leaving?” she asked, not bothering to hold back from pouting. It seemed they'd come to a decision since breakfast.

He sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to like the answer. “I’d say we’ll need to go in about a week.”

“Great,” Sabrina muttered and Nick reached over, taking hold of her hand. She didn’t look at him but gave his hand a squeeze, grateful for the contact. 

“I should have the academy room secure for you to use starting this week,” her father continued and Nick rose, tugging at Sabrina to do so as well. Edward tried to offer his daughter a smile but she was steadfastly not looking at him, reminding him once again of Zelda’s stubbornness. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Yeah,” she murmured, but didn’t take a step forward when Nick tugged on her again. 

There was something that had been on her mind since before Yule, but she’d pushed it aside, determined to enjoy the holiday with her family. But with the possibility of her father leaving in only a few days, Sabrina knew she needed to find out some answers. Or at least gauge his reaction to her question so she could start doing her own research.

“Why did you banish Gilly?” Sabrina asked, gaze locking with her father’s. “And who tried to gift him to me?”

He didn’t seem to react at all to that, but she noticed that slight twitching of his throat as he swallowed. It was Rhea’s movement that alerted Sabrina the most, the way the familiar tensed against her, ears drawing back before she headed off to curl up next to the desk. Salem did something similar whenever she was trying to hide a reaction. The weirdest part though was how Nick’s father clenched his hand at her question, and Sabrina spotted Nick noticing the movement as well.

“Your imaginary familiar?” Edward started, arching a brow. “Sabrina, I’m not sure--”

“I saw it.” She narrowed her eyes at how easily he was trying to deny what Gilly had been.

“You what?” her father asked, gripping the desk behind him a little tighter.

“I had a dream.” she informed him, shaking her head when he opened his mouth. She wanted to get all of this out. “I saw you banish him. And you saw him too. Aunt Zee didn’t. None of the others did. But you saw him. He wasn’t imaginary. He was real. He was a hellhound. And he went to the mines after you banished him and there was…” She still couldn’t quite remember what had been there, or who.

“There was what?” Edward asked, watching her carefully.

Sabrina shook her head. “I don’t know. Someone was there but I can’t remember them.”

“It was a dream, Sabrina,” he sighed, stepping forward to place his hands on her shoulder.

“There can be truth in dreams,” she replied, stepping back from him.

“Sometimes, but it was simply an imaginary familiar, sweetheart,” he insisted, reaching out for her again, but she was already moving toward the door, Nick following after her. “Nothing more.”

She made sure he saw how hurt she was at his answer as she left the room, listening to him sigh again as the door slid shut behind the two of them. Nick reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze before tugging her away from her father’s office. She didn’t expect him to teleport the two of them out of her house and over to his. 

“Nick?”

“You pretty much think his answer was bullshit, right?” he asked her, waiting for a nod before he gestured toward his mother’s old office. “So I figured, let’s summon Gilly.”

She grinned at the idea, thankful that he seemed to believe her. “It wasn’t just your dad trying to hide what he was thinking,” he pointed out as they headed into her office. “Can you get the candles?”

“Why would they want to hide a hellhound though?” Sabrina asked as she headed to retrieve the candles from their usual spot. There was a layer of dust on them that she hadn’t expected, realizing that no one had touched them since her death. They had been in this room since then, looked at the books through it, but there was so much of it that was left exactly where she’d placed it. 

“You said he called it a gift?” Nick asked, and she turned toward him, watching as he scanned through the books. 

He looked like his father, but there was so much of his mother in the way he stood, in the teasing quality he would bring out from time to time. Even his thirst for knowledge was more like Victoria Scratch’s had been than Nathaniel’s. 

“He told Gilly that ‘I didn’t need his masters gifts’.” She was pretty sure those were her father’s words.

“His masters?” Nick turned back to look at her, brows furrowed together as he recounted that one more time, watching as she nodded. “As in the Dark Lord?”

“I...don’t know?” Sabrina set the candles down, frowning deeply. “Why would the Dark Lord want to give me anything?”

“You are the daughter of a High Priest,” Nick reminded, coming to kneel beside her and help with the candles. “It’s not that out of the ordinary to get something. I got a few books from the Infernal library.”

“Really?” She’d never seen those.

“I’ll show you later,” he promised, reaching over to tuck a strand of her hair back. “Plus, he did give your parents his blessing to have you.”

“He might have helped them have me too,” Sabrina told him, remembering what Zelda had told her. “I don’t know what that means though.”

“I’m guessing you haven’t asked your dad?” Nick watched her shake her head before he waved his hand to retrieve the book he’d picked from the shelf “So. Summoning a hellhound.”

“I don’t know which one he is,” Sabrina reminded. The last one they had brought about wasn’t right.

He held up a book about hellhounds and she grinned, pleased he seemed to be one step ahead of her as he opened it up. “Let’s try and narrow it down. What do you remember about him?”

She quirked her lips, trying to remember anything of importance. “He was huge.”

“Most are, babe.” Nick flipped through the first few pages, getting past the introduction to the part that would have illustrations of the different creatures.

“Babe?” Sabrina arched a brow at that, lips twitching in amusement at the endearment.

He looked up from his scanning. “Do you not like it?”

“I think I need to hear it a few more times,” she told him before leaning forward to press a quick kiss to his lips.

He lingered there against her mouth, fingers gently clasping around her shoulder so she wouldn’t quite move away yet. Never quite deepening the kiss, but continuing it, enjoying the way she leaned into him, fingers tightening in his shirt as she kissed him back. “What else?” Nick asked when he did finally move back, brushing his finger over her bottom lip as he took in her dreamy expression.

She blinked at the question before forcing herself to pull away a little, attention turning back to the book. “He was rust colored.” 

Nick nodded, flipping through the book until he got to the ones that fit that description. It wasn’t long before Sabrina was tapping a finger against one of the illustrations. “That’s him.”

“Gwylligi,” Nick murmured, scanning through the description of that particular hound. “Not quite top tier in the hellhound category, but one of the higher ranking ones.”

Sabrina scrunched her nose at that, reading along with him. “I didn’t even know they were ranked.”

Nick jostled her with his elbow before moving to get the salt. “I think everything in Hell is ranked.”

It didn’t take them long to get the circle completed, the hellhound arriving in it moments after they summoned the creature. It moved around the confines like the other one had, grunting at the invisible cage it had been trapped inside of. Sabrina’s eyes widened as she looked at it, recognition flowing through her as she took in the creature. It was mirrored once the hellhound turned toward the two of them, the anger it had been expressing quickly turning to playfulness when it spotted her. 

It jumped from side to side, tongue lolling out of its mouth as it butted the invisible barrier, reminding Nick of Amalia for a moment. Sabrina glanced over at him and he drew in a breath at her look, knowing what she wanted to do before slowly nodding. A simple wave of her hand had the barrier falling and the hellhound moved straight toward her, butting its head into her stomach like Rhea so often did. 

“Hi, Gilly,” she murmured, running her fingers through the hound’s fur as best she could. He was still huge, not quite as enormous as she’d thought he was when she’d been five, but far bigger than any other creature she’d dealt with. 

Nick sat back, hands pressed behind him as he watched her stroke the hound behind the ears, the creature’s smile not quite as disconcerting as it had been before. Sabrina gestured for him to move closer, taking hold of one of his hands so he could touch the hellhound as well. Gilly opened an eye at the new hand on him, tensing for a moment before spotting Nick, leaning into his touch as well. 

Nick had no idea what they were going to do with the hellhound now that it was there and didn’t seem in a hurry to leave. The smell of brimstone was going to linger, no doubt alerting his father to what they had done if he came to the office. Thankfully the chances with that were slim. He didn’t think the man had set foot in it since the day his mother had died. 

“Why is my father lying to me?” Sabrina murmured after a moment, leaning against Nick. 

“I don’t know, Sabrina.” He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close as the hellhound rose and started to look around the room. There was definitely something happening that they weren’t being told the entire truth about and he wondered if this was somehow linked to Lilith and the tests as well. “What do you want to do with him?”

“We probably should send him back,” she sighed, offering up an apologetic smile as Gilly looked back at her, whining at the idea. “I think you’re still banned from my house.”

“He could stay here,” Nick suggested. Not in this room, but there was enough space on the Scratch grounds that he thought the hellhound could find a place to stick to. “He’d have more space to move around once our dads are gone.”

Gilly looked between the two at that, ears perking up and Sabrina reached a hand out, drawing the creature back to them. “What do you think?” she asked, smiling softly as the hound butted his head into her hand. “You’d have to listen to Nick and stay out of sight, okay?”

“No roaming around Greendale late at night to lead unsuspecting souls to their deaths,” Nick added, knowing from his brief reading that doing so was this creature’s specialty. 

Sabrina laughed as Gilly snorted at that before he nodded at the stipulations. “The real kicker is going to be how you explain why you smell like a dog to Salem,” Nick told her and Sabrina groaned. He was right, her familiar was going to throw a fit. “We’re going to figure this out though. Whatever it is that they’re hiding.”

She sighed at that, burrowing into his side, her frustration only growing. “I feel like for every answer we get there’s eighty more questions and none of them quite line up with everything we've already found.”

It was like they were missing the piece that tied everything together.

“We can use the time they’re gone to look again at all those pieces we do have and see if we’ve missed anything,” Nick replied, squeezing her tightly before pressing a kiss to her hair. “Between your stubbornness and my thoroughness we’ll get answers.” 

She nodded at that, wrapping her arms tightly around him. They wouldn’t stop until they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading. You guys seriously rock with all of the encouragement and theories and love <3
> 
> Next chapter we'll meet Ambrose's new familiar, the warlock witchlings try to hold an intervention, Sabrina and Nick work on their magic, and Edward and Sabrina's relationship continues to be strained.


	15. lies upon lies

Ambrose strode into the kitchen, whistling happily as he went about getting his usual box of cereal from the cabinet. It was a fairly ordinary occurrence, something that wouldn’t usually have the rest of the Spellman clan pausing in their own movements, but the small owl sitting on top of his right shoulder and looking around at everything had a few jaws dropping. Only Sabrina grinned at him, looking out the corner of her eye to spot Salem looking up at the new familiar with a bit of intrigue. 

“An owl?” Hilda asked from her spot at the stove, hand pressed to her chest as she took in the tiny creature.

“I see your summoning for a familiar worked,” Edward mused, stroking a hand through his beard before leaning forward to snag another pancake from the plate.

Ambrose grinned at him before sitting down. "Much better experience than the registry." Even if he missed Nagiana.

Zelda snorted at that before looking back at the newspaper. “Why have a perfectly respectable familiar when you can summon a random one from the woods?”

“Precisely, auntie,” he leaned forward, giving her cheek a kiss before settling back down to pour himself some cereal. 

“What’s her name?” Sabrina asked, taking in the yellow eyes that turned to look over at her. It really did have a piercing sort of look.

“Desdemona,” Ambrose told her before reaching over to gently brush his new familiar’s head. The owl closed her eyes at that, seeming to enjoy the touch. He glanced over at Salem who was still watching with interest and spotted Rhea entering the room as well. “And she’s _not_ a snack.” He gave them each a pointed look. Rhea snorted at that while Salem whined, clearly disappointed.

“At least she can help keep the mouse population down as well,” Zelda stated before closing the paper and looking over at Salem. “Since some are getting rather lazy at that task.”

Salem let out a meow, brushing against Sabrina’s leg and she reached down, giving his head a scratch before he headed out of the room to find a sunny place to nap. “I’ve secured Nicholas and you a room at the academy,” Edward started, looking over at his daughter. 

“Thank you,” Sabrina replied, keeping her gaze focused on her half-eaten pancake. 

Zelda arched a brow at the tightness in her niece’s voice, looking over at her brother, and noted that he was pressing his lips together as he watched Sabrina. “Why do the two of you need a room at the academy?” Ambrose asked, and Sabrina looked over at him. 

“We’re going to work on combining our magic there,” Sabrina told him and he raised both brows, clearly impressed with that news. “Just on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

“Do you really think it's a good idea for them to continue to play around with that?” Zelda asked, looking back at her brother. 

“I’m not going to stifle their potential,” Edward replied and Sabrina snorted at that.

“Just not tell the truth about things,” she muttered before rising and picking up her plate. 

“Sabrina,” he started, sighing as she headed over to the sink. 

“Are you still denying that Gilly was a real hellhound?” she asked, whirling around to look at him. He didn’t reply to that and she shrugged. “That’s what I thought.”

“Gilly?” Ambrose mouthed, looking between the aunts.

It took both of them a second to remember the name. “Your imaginary familiar from when you were little?” Hilda asked as she placed the last of the pancakes onto a plate.

“He wasn’t imaginary,” Sabrina muttered, rinsing off her plate.

“Just because you dreamed something, doesn’t make it true,” Edward pointed out.

It took all of her inner strength not to yell back that she’d summoned the creature and his recognition of her was proof enough for her. “I’m going to school,” she stated, heading out of the room and then the mortuary without her usual goodbye kiss to his cheek.

Edward let out another sigh as he rose as well, heading off to his office without a word to the others. “Do you get the feeling we’re missing something?” Hilda asked, looking over at the other two. 

Zelda picked the paper back up as she shook her head. “Perhaps a little freezing out from his daughter is exactly what our brother needs to stop being an idiot.”

“Zelda!” Hilda tsked, but she knew her sister had a point. Countless talks from the two of them had hardly managed to change their brother’s ways. 

“I should get going too,” Ambrose murmured as he rose, motioning toward the owl on his shoulder. “Gotta show this one around town, help her get settled, meet the others.”

“It would be absolutely tragic if she was eaten by someone else’s familiar,” Zelda murmured and Hilda eyed her, lips pressed together as Ambrose rolled his eyes, kissing her cheek again before heading off. 

“Do you have any idea why Sabrina would think that familiar was a hellhound? And a real one at that?” Hilda asked once Ambrose was gone and Zelda looked at her over the paper.

“Edward mentioned something about dreams,” she pointed out, setting the paper down as she remembered the nightmare the girl had before the Winter Solstice. Had she had another and they hadn’t known about it? Perhaps it had occurred once Nicholas had started staying in her room. The boy would have easily turned to comfort Sabrina once she woke from a nightmare. “I’ll look into it.”

Hilda simply nodded before finally sitting down to eat as well. The sound of Vivaldi started filling the mortuary, coming from the direction of their brother’s study and Zelda grimaced at it, while Hilda frowned. They both knew full well that meant he would be in a rather sullen mood for the day. 

It might be a good day to head to the farmer’s market.

* * *

Nick glanced toward the library’s clock one more time, foot tapping against the floor as he waited for the damn hands to move faster. He’d seen Sabrina at the start of school, but their schedules on Tuesday meant that they wouldn’t get to see one another again until lunch time which was still twenty minutes away. Nick hadn’t liked the tension that had been in her shoulders, the scowl plastered to her face even after he’d kissed her in greeting. He knew the target of her annoyance was Edward Spellman from her muttering her father’s name before heading off to homeroom with Roz. 

He wanted to wrap her up in his arms, hold her close and help ease the anger that was stoking inside of her, but that wasn’t possible for at least nineteen more minutes. Nick let out a groan at the slowness of time before turning back to the paper he was supposed to be working on. He dipped his quill into the ink, rolling his eyes at Father Machen’s desire for them to all turn in material the way that their fathers had before them. Pen ink was practically the same as the one in the damn bottle, but less likely to make a mess. 

“It's been a month,” Wade started as he sat down across the table from him. He placed his bag on the table, nearly knocking over the ink bottle and Nick righted it just in time, stopping it up as a few of the others from his coven joined them. 

“Over a month even,” Aeneas added, taking up the seat beside him.

“Hmm?” Nick asked, wondering what they were going on about as Gerald sat down beside him. 

His friend held up his hands. “Don’t look at me,” Gerald muttered. “I told them this was useless.”

“Since you and Sabrina started…” Cyrus twisted his lips, shoulders shrugging as he tried to get the right words. “Whatever it is you’ve started.”

“And?” Nick asked, arching a brow at the other three’s deeply concerned looks.

“So like you can start back with everything else again, right?” Aeneas asked, Wade and Cyrus nodding along with that whole Gerald shook his head. 

Nick was pretty sure he heard the blonde mutter that they were ‘morons’. “What do you mean?” Nick asked, having a pretty good idea, but he wanted to be certain.

“Everything you were doing before you got with her,” Wade replied, wondering if he’d need to go into specifics. “I mean...there’s talk that you guys are being exclusive.”

“And not even the witch version of it?” Cyrus continued, brows knitting together as he tried to make sense of any of it. 

“What exactly is the witch version of it?” Nick asked, brow arching with curiosity.

“Well, like the two of you and allowing for thirds and fourths in your bed,” Aeneas replied, Wade and Cyrus nodded in agreement. 

Nick supposed that would be the definition of witch exclusivity in a relationship. “No, we’re not doing this the witch way.”

“Isn’t it boring?” Cyrus asked and Nick opened his mouth to reply, quickly shutting it when Wade continued, “You’re both giving up so much for that.”

“I don’t think I am. I don’t think Sabrina sees it that way either,” Nick pointed out, shrugging slightly at the looks that passed between the group of them. Only Gerald hadn’t said a word, simply sat back in the chair next to him as he listened to the others.

“How can she when she hasn’t even tried anything yet?” Aeneas reckoned, and Wade nodded again at that, motioning toward his friend as if he’d said something profound.

Nick didn’t reply, not about to satisfy their curiosity about Sabrina’s thoughts on anything. They could ask her if they wanted and she’d answer if she wanted. “I’m guessing this means you can’t buy time with the sex demons anymore?” Wade asked, shaking his head sadly at the idea.

“It means I don’t _need_ to buy time with them,” Nick replied, happy that was the case. The reasons he’d had for going to them and partaking in that particular type of play hadn’t gone away, but he’d found new avenues for helping to soothe the pain he wanted to inflict on himself in the heat of Sabrina’s mouth on his skin, her nails dragging down his back. The touch of her hand in his hair soothing away the pain that he wanted to inflict on himself so he felt _something_.

“You’re going to miss all of the fun we used to have,” Cyrus told him with a wink and Nick laughed at that. 

“Does this mean you’re not going to participate in any of the sex rites or rituals now?” Aeneas asked as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Not unless it's with Sabrina,” Nick told him. And even then, not until she was ready to try any of those spells and rituals.

Cyrus pouted at that before rising. “You’re going to be missed.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Nick reminded, rolling his eyes as all of the others except for Gerald left the table. “They’re being overly dramatic.”

“You’re really not missing any of it, are you?” his friend asked and Nick glanced over at him.

He shook his head, an easy smile spreading across his face. “Not a minute of it.”

“I didn’t think so,” Gerald chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. “Your sole focus is on her even when you’re in Dorian’s, never wavering. Anyone who’s paid even the slightest attention to the two of you should have seen this happening.”

“And yet, you were trying to get with her for the last few months,” Nick reminded, pointing a finger at the other warlock.

“Sabrina’s hot, Scratch,” Gerald replied, holding up both hands. “ _And_ powerful. So of course I wanted to enjoy some time with her.” He shrugged as he lowered his hands. “It was annoyingly obvious she only had eyes for you though. Something I don’t see changing anytime soon.”

“I’d apologize for that but…” Nick grinned, not at all feeling sorry for his friend.

“Eh, it's fine. With you off the market, I’ve had even more offers than before.” It was Gerald’s turn to grin before he rose. “If the two of you ever want a third though…”

Nick shook his head, turning his attention back to his paper as his friend walked away, unsurprised by the proposition, even if he wasn’t even remotely entertaining it. He glanced back at the clock after another minute, letting out a sigh that there were still seven more minutes to go.

* * *

Sabrina rested her elbows against the lunch table, scowling down at her packed lunch. “He denied it again?” Roz asked as she sat down across from her friend, spotting the others heading toward their table.

Nick took up the spot next to her, giving her shoulder a squeeze as he sat down. She leaned into that briefly before nodding at Roz. “I was really close to telling him about us summoning Gilly--”

“ _Wait_! You _summoned_ a hellhound?” Theo asked, gaping at the two of them. 

“It’s not the first time we’ve done it,” Sabrina murmured as she finally opened up the paper bag and pulled out what her aunt had packed for her.

“It is the first time we’ve kept it around though,” Nick added and Theo’s mouth seemed to widen even further at that. 

“There’s a hellhound in Greendale?” Harvey asked, looking a little paler than he had before. 

“Does it have three heads?” Theo asked as Roz shook her head, unsurprised by his sudden burst of enthusiasm.

“Only Cerberus has three heads,” Nick informed him and Theo nodded at that. Of course. Silly him. 

“How many hellhounds are there?” Theo asked, and Harvey sighed, knowing he probably wasn’t going to like the answer to that. What were the chances it’d be a small number like two?

Nick quirked his lips as he considered that for a moment, mentally calculating the number of names on the index of the book they’d been using. “Five hundred or so?”

Harvey pressed his head against the table, groaning at the answer, before peering up at Nick. “And you’ve got one...where exactly?”

“He’s hanging out in my backyard. Amalia’s keeping an eye on him.” So it was fine.

“He won’t hurt her, will he?” Roz asked. She knew the familiars were important to each witch and warlock and while she might not know much about hellhounds, the fact it was from Hell probably meant it was far more deadly.

Nick shook his head before a smile tugged at his lips. “I think he’s actually terrified of her.” 

At least that seemed to pull a laugh out of Sabrina before she took a bite of her sandwich. “Why would...the devil...give you a hellhound anyway?” Harvey asked after everyone had started to eat.

“High Priest’s kids get gifts sometimes from him,” Nick replied, taking in the startled looks that passed between the others.

“Did you?” Roz looked over at him, wondering what it could have been.

Nick nodded. “Yeah. I have some books from Pandemonium’s library.”

“Pandemonium?” Theo didn’t think he’d ever heard of that word referred to as a place.

“Hell’s palace,” Sabrina told him, glancing over at Roz who choked for a moment on her drink.

“Hell has a palace?” she asked, looking between Nick and Sabrina who nodded. “I do not remember that from bible study. I guess books make sense for you though. You’re kind of a big book nerd.”

That was true. Books had always been one of Nick’s favorite things. Sabrina pressed her lips together as she considered that. Had the Dark Lord gifted them things he thought they might appreciate at the time because… “I was lonely back then. We weren’t friends yet.” She looked over at the others. School hadn’t started for them until later in the year. “And Nick was only ever around in the summer. I wanted a friend to be around all of the time and then Gilly was there.”

Theo pressed a hand to his chest. “That’s almost sweet.”

It kind of was...and yet her dad had been so against the creature. It didn’t seem like Nick’s parents had been against him having the books if he still had them. So why the difference?

“Any update on the Lilith thing?” Roz asked. She had a feeling it’d be a good idea to steer the conversation away from the hellhound if Sabrina’s furrowed brow was anything to go by.

It was Nick’s turn to sigh. “I have a feeling we’re not going to find anything in the traditional books.”

“We might need to focus on your mom’s journals,” Sabrina pointed out, voicing what she knew he was considering doing. “We know my dad used information she learned from all of her travels in building what he has here, right?”

“I think we’ve been focusing on the wrong ones,” Nick told her. They’d been focusing on the ones surrounding the Lilith symbol that had popped up, but that journal had been one of her more recent ones. “We might want to go back to the earlier ones before either of us were born.”

“The ones that led up to what they formed here?” Roz asked and Nick nodded at that.

“Can we help at all?” Theo asked, hopeful that they could do something. Even if he had no idea what that might be.

“I don’t think you can for this,” Sabrina murmured, grateful that he’d wanted to though.

“ _But_ we might have something else we need your help with,” Nick replied, nudging Sabrina with his elbow.

Oh, right! Beltane. It was probably a good idea to start thinking about how to do that now so they could start planning stuff. 

“Whatever you guys need,” Harvey started and Nick leaned forward, explaining what their fathers were interested in doing. They wouldn’t get much done in the last fifteen minutes of their lunch period but the idea was out there and Sabrina knew her friends would come up with countless ideas to think about before the next one.

* * *

Sabrina and Nick stood outside of the academy building, looking up at the stone sign that read ‘Gehenna Station’. Dead vines grew up the sides, the lawn around it unkempt and meant to give the appearance of an abandoned building to any mortal that happened upon it. There was magic around it, meant to keep them from approaching too closely as well, allowing for the magic that happened inside of it to go unnoticed. 

“If we’d been born twenty years earlier, we’d have been learning inside of there,” Sabrina murmured as she held Nick’s hand, the two of them stepping across the invisible barrier that surrounded the building. “No mortal classes in between the magic ones we have now.”

“No staying at home either,” Nick pointed out as they ascended the stairs. “Full on boarding experience for everyone attending.”

She frowned at the idea of that, not sure she would have taken well to leaving her aunts, father and cousin behind to live inside of the academy. It had been the custom to do so after one’s Dark Baptism, sealing the new inductees even further into the Anti-Papacy’s teachings. She was happy her father had gotten rid of that requirement, that they’d all been allowed to stay with their families for their schooling even when they reached the levels that would allow them access to the academy building. 

There were rooms for the witches and warlocks to board in if they wanted and Sabrina knew from Ambrose that a few of his generation did so--the ones who had no family to speak of. She’d thought he was going to do so as well after her father had finally been able to undo the spell sequestering him to the house, but he’d stayed in his room up in the attic, telling her he wasn’t able to give up their auntie’s cooking or teasing her every day. 

The door swung open as they neared it and Nick rolled his eyes at the theatrics, even if he was unsurprised by them. They stepped into the foyer to find Sister Guelimja waiting for them. “Nicholas, Sabrina,” she greeted them both with a big smile, clasping her hands together in front of her. “I wondered who would be the first of your lot to secure a room here.”

Nick arched a brow at that as the older witch turned around, beckoning them to follow her further into the academy. “As you know this academy was built according to the principles of sacred geometry. Every room is a perfectly proportioned pentagon locking onto the next room,” she told them as they headed past the statute of the Dark Lord in the center of the room. “Your fathers both have an office here, though they rarely seem to use either these days with their travels.” 

She nodded in the direction that they were located before they started up some winding stairs. “The library is situated to the left. You’ll find resources in there that your high school does not have. You have full access to it as well,” Sister Guelimja continued as they passed by the room. “Your cousin is the current librarian for it.”

“Ambrose is?” Sabrina asked, blinking when she realized the witch was talking to her. Why hadn’t she known that? She knew he spent most of his days over here working on different spells but she hadn’t realized he’d taken on that specific job.

“Everyone is wondering what it is the two of you are going to be working on,” Sister Guelimja told them as they headed up another set of stairs. “We’ve got a bit of a bet going which type of magic your study is pertaining to.”

“Conjuration,” Nick replied, though he wasn’t about to expand beyond that.

“I can’t say I’m surprised that either of you are interested in that one,” the older witch shook her head, grinning. “Considering your father--” she glanced over at Sabrina and then at Nick-- “And your mother was quite gifted in that area.”

His mother had been? Nick exchanged a look with Sabrina, seeing the same look of confusion in her features as they followed the older witch down the hallway.

Sister Guelimja nodded before stopping before one of the large ornate doors. She handed the two a key. “You’ll need this for accessing the room,” she informed them as she handed over the key. “Do not lose it.”

“We won’t,” Nick assured her before Sister Guelimja nodded at the two and turned around on her heel, leaving them to it. He waited until the witch was heading down the stairs before turning to Sabrina. “You ready for this?”

She was still looking far too pensive in his opinion. The tension that had been in her shoulders and setting her mouth in an annoyed twist still as prevalent as when he’d seen her that morning. Nick placed the key in his pocket and wrapped his hands in the lapels of her red coat, tugging her closer to him. 

“Why does he have to lie?” she muttered after a moment, pressing closer to Nick as she wrapped her arms around him, her frustration only growing once she’d said the words. 

“I don’t know,” Nick murmured, one arm moving to curl around her and hold her close while he moved his other up, brushing his fingers through her hair when she rested her head against his chest. “And while we’re going to figure that out, you’ve been wanting to try what we actually came here to do again for a couple of weeks now.” 

“I have,” she agreed, closing her eyes so she could focus more on the sensations he was stirring in her with his fingers in her hair. “And I’m not going to let him ruin that.”

Nick grinned at the fierce determination on her voice, the way her nose wrinkled in defiance before she pulled back slightly from him and nodded toward the door. Nick pulled out the key again and handed it over to her, letting her unlock the door and lead the way into the room.

It wasn’t anything special, much like the ones they’d have access to back at the high school, but everything inside of it was definitely _older_. There was an air of magic to the room, one that seemed to seep into every crevice of it that Nick hadn’t experienced anywhere outside of his own home and the other ones that belonged to members of the covens. It thrummed through him as he closed the door behind them. He looked over at Sabrina, watching her lean forward to blow life into one of the floor standing candelabras. He spotted the same intensity he was feeling in her gaze as she looked back at him before she moved to light another of the candles in the room. 

Nick shrugged off his jacket and draped it over one of the chairs, placing his school bag onto it as well before moving to one of the cabinets to retrieve the candles they would need for their circle. Sabrina followed suit, smoothing out her skirt once she’d placed her jacket on the chair before she wandered the room, taking in the different decorations. She pursed her lips as she stopped in front of a black and white photograph hanging on the wall.

It was of their parents and Sabrina was fairly certain that it had been taken on her parents’ wedding day. She clucked her tongue at that before glancing back at Nick. “I’m guessing we were given this room for a specific reason,” she murmured and Nick looked up from the floor where he’d been setting out the candles. 

He shook his head as he took in the photograph as well. “Maybe he thought we’d like seeing something of our mothers,” Nick told her, trying not to laugh at her scowl as Sabrina moved to join him on the floor. “If he hadn’t lied about Gilly, you would think seeing that was sweet, wouldn’t you?”

She grumbled something he couldn’t quite make out as she took some of the candles from him to help set out along the circle seared into the floor. His lips twitched, but he knew better than to chuckle in that moment, focusing on lighting the candles instead. 

They got into the circle together, facing one another while they were kneeling on the floor. Nick held out his hands, wondering if it would matter that the air wasn’t as sexually charged as it had been the last time they’d attempted this. He wasn’t sure if their attraction to one another was part of what had the magic combining back at the high school, that desire for one another bubbling over into everything around them. Not that it had lessened any in the last few weeks, but he hadn’t been actively teasing her in order to get a rise out of her this time.

She placed her hands in his, her lips pulling into a smile as she finally looked at him. Nick arched a brow at the mischievous glint in her eyes before her power came rushing through and around him. It sent a shot of desire rippling through him to watch Sabrina play with her magic, to see the power that always seemed to be coming off of her swirl around them and embrace him so easily in its grasp. The heat of it rolled through him and he resisted the urge to surge forward and kiss her, working instead to release his own magic, steadier and cooler to move toward her. 

He enjoyed the way she closed her eyes as it embraced her, wrapping around her similarly to how hers had him, the little breathless sigh she let out reminding him of the one she usually did when he was kissing her neck. The intensity of her look when she opened her eyes was making it harder to resist the never ending pull of her but Nick threaded their fingers together, giving her hands a squeeze to remind her they wanted to focus on the magic. 

Combining it was great, but it would be useless if they couldn’t figure out how to utilize and control it. 

Sabrina drew in a deep breath, trying to center herself before she nodded, letting him know she was ready. They closed their eyes, foreheads pressed together as they focused on the magic swirling around them, the constant brush of it having both of them breathing harder, need building from deep within, wanting release. She pushed that desire down though, attention moving to the magic with a single-minded focus and felt Nick do the same as the magic stopped swirling.

They opened their eyes, staring at one another for a moment before looking at the white light that was encompassing the two of them. Something new and familiar all at once. Sabrina let go of one of his hands and reached out to touch it. Nick followed suit and the two watched as the light pulsed at their touch. 

“What do you think we can do with it?” Sabrina murmured as she looked back at him.

Nick’s mind was awash with ideas, one tumbling over the next and adding another with each passing second. “The possibilities are endless.”

Sabrina reached over, brushing her fingers against his cheek. She loved seeing this side of him, giddy with this need to learn and discover, to absorb every bit of knowledge they could possibly come up with. “What do you want to do with it right now?” 

The whole point of doing this in the first place was their belief that it’d allow for a more complex and powerful use of magic. 

Nick pressed his lips together, considering the options they had available to them. He wasn’t certain how long the magic would stay combined. They would need to experiment with that, but at least it wasn’t sending out destructive shockwaves this time. 

“Who do you want to conjure?” Nick asked as he rose, tugging Sabrina up with him. The candles in the circle around them were all quickly blown out and set to the side. He snapped his fingers, bringing the two chalk cues over to them. 

It was probably a horrible idea, definitely an impulsive one, but there were only so many answers they were getting from the books. “Lilith.”

Nick blinked, certain he’d heard wrong for a moment before taking in the stubborn twist of Sabrina’s lips and the way her brows were set, knowing she wouldn’t be giving up the idea any time soon. 

“It might not work,” he reminded her as they let go of one another. 

The light died as soon as they had done so, fading into the floor around them as if it had never been there in the first place. Nick took hold of her hand again and it sputtered back around them for a second, flashing in the room and shaking the furniture before dying out again. 

Sabrina frowned, disappointed in the lack of connectedness that she’d felt with him only seconds before. “I guess we need to work on it a bit more before we can use it,” she sighed, sending her cue back to the wall. 

“We’ve got a goal to push toward at least,” Nick pointed out as he sent his cue to sit beside hers. He drew her to him, kissing at her pouting lips. 

“When did you become the optimist?” Sabrina murmured against his lips before resting her head against his chest.

Nick chuckled at that, giving her a squeeze as he wrapped his arms around her. “Also gives us time to figure out what we’re even going to ask her?”

“Ugh, and now you’re being realistic,” Sabrina murmured, poking him in the side.

“You love it,” Nick replied, kissing the top of her head.

“Well, I love you so guess I do.” She moved to take a step away but Nick caught her hand, tugging her back to him.

His eyes were wide and Sabrina blinked, wondering why he looked so startled in that moment. She retraced her words, blushing when she realized what she’d so casually thrown out there between them. It wasn’t exactly how she’d wanted to tell him that the first time, not in that way she would so easily with Ambrose from time to time, but from Nick’s blossoming smile it seemed like it had been the way to do it. No big theatrical production or under moonlight or any of the other thousand ways every romance movie or novel seemed to have it happen. 

“Guess it's a good thing I love you too,” Nick told her, enjoying the ease of her smile before she leaned forward to kiss him. 

He always had loved her, ever since he was following after her through the woods behind their houses and getting into far more trouble than any witch child had before them--at least according to her aunts. It had grown and evolved and he was certain it would only continue to do so, turning into something new and better instead of fizzling out like everything else had around him. 

There was a warmth to Sabrina’s touch that he never quite experienced with anyone else. Whether it was her mouth against his or her fingers in his hair or her head against his chest as they stood together in an empty room taking comfort from one another. The light pulsed around them as they broke apart to take a breath, foreheads still touching, before it died out again. 

“Ready to get out of here?” Nick asked after a moment, only stepping back when she nodded. They headed to retrieve their coats and bags, Nick sliding the key into his pocket before he wrapped his arm around Sabrina’s waist as they headed out into the hallway together. “Want to see if Ambrose wants to get dinner with us?” 

“You mean, do you want to stop by the library and see which books we can snag from there while also asking my cousin to come to dinner?” Sabrina grinned, enjoying the way Nick shrugged his shoulder, knowing he’d been caught in his real interest. 

“There are books in there we’ve only dreamed of,” he pointed out, nodding toward the library’s entrance and Sabrina laughed at the pout he directed toward her.

She leaned forward, kissing him briefly before nodding toward the door. “It would be a shame to pass up this opportunity then.”

Nick’s grin was bright, making Sabrina think of all the times she’d found him browsing Cerberus books for his latest literary conquest, as he tugged her along into the library with him. “Ambrose!” he called out as they rounded the shelves, trying to spot where exactly the other warlock might be.

“Give me a minute!” they heard her cousin yell from somewhere in the back followed by another muffled voice that Sabrina couldn’t quite make out at first.

“Hopefully more than a minute,” she heard louder that time followed by her cousin’s hushing.

Sabrina’s eyes widened in recognition and Nick had to press his lips together to stop from laughing at the look of utter horror that passed over her features. “We’ll just wait for you outside,” Nick called back out before tugging Sabrina back out of the library.

She groaned into her hands as she sank down onto one of the benches outside of it and Nick pressed a hand to his mouth, knowing full well that she’d probably kick him if he laughed now. “Maybe he was helping her find--”

“Don’t you even finish that sentence,” Sabrina eyed him from between her fingers, nose scrunching as she watched Nick’s lips twitch and shoulders shake with amusement. She let out another groan and half-contemplated teleporting home. 

She’d definitely lost her appetite.

* * *

“Oh come on now, cousin,” Ambrose tried to jostle her elbow as they headed up the gravel driveway but she moved away from him.

Her arms were still crossed. He was pretty sure they had been the entire time they’d been in Cerberus’ as well. Her burger picked at but not quite eaten. “Why couldn’t it have been Luke?”

“You hate Luke,” her cousin pointed out and Sabrina nodded.

“That should tell you all you need to know,” she countered and he reached over, bopping her on the nose. She waved him off, scowling at the happy little bounce in his step. “Besides, didn’t you say you weren’t going to be with anyone more than once after the whole debacle with him?”

“I’m exploring my options,” Ambrose replied, pulling her over into a side hug she couldn’t quite wriggle out of.

“Do you have to explore them with her?” Sabrina grumbled as they arrived at the steps.

“Judgy judgy.” Ambrose tsked her. “Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m happy?” 

She groaned at that, letting him tug her up the stairs. “When she breaks your--”

“No hearts are involved, cousin,” he interrupted her, flicking her nose again. “Simply hormones and bodies combining beautifully.”

Sabrina made a face at that, gagging. “That is an image I never needed in my head.”

Ambrose winked at her before finally opening the front door. They both stopped at the threshold, finding suitcases in the foyer with her father, Rhea and her aunts waiting for them. “I’m going to guess this means it's time for Slovenia?” Ambrose asked, nodding toward the suitcases as the two entered the house, closing the door behind them.

“Only for a few weeks,” Edward replied, his gaze moving to his daughter.

“Good luck on your travels,” Sabrina murmured, holding tightly to her bag. “I have to go start on my homework.” She headed past all of them without another word, taking the stairs toward her room as quickly as she could.

Ambrose rubbed the back of his neck, sucking in a breath at the awkwardness that enveloped the room then. “That shouldn’t come as a surprise,” Zelda stated, giving her brother a pointed look. “Let us know when you and Nathaniel are settled in.” She nodded once at her brother before heading off as well.

Edward was staring up at the landing at the top of the stairs, shoulders slumped as he waited for the door to open again and for his daughter to return. She didn’t though. “I’ve packed some snacks in the smaller bag,” Hilda told him as she stepped forward, smoothing out the collar of his jacket. “A few little things Rhea likes to nibble on as well.”

“Thank you, Hildy,” Edward murmured, giving her shoulders a squeeze. 

“She’ll be alright,” Ambrose started, nodding up toward the empty stairwell as his uncle turned toward him. 

Edward nodded in agreement at that and let out a sigh as he picked up his suitcases, ready to teleport to the Scratch’s to pick up Nathaniel for the trip. 

“Wait!” Sabrina’s voice echoed throughout the landing as she wrenched open the door and practically flew down the stairs toward him. 

He put down the suitcases and pulled her into a hug, holding onto her tightly. Ambrose and Hilda smiled at one another before heading out of the room to give the two a moment. 

“I’m still mad at you,” Sabrina murmured even as she squeezed him a little tighter. 

“I know, my little witch,” he sighed, brushing a hand through her hair before stepping back from her. 

She dropped down onto her knees, giving Rhea a quick hug as well, before standing back up. “I love you very much,” Edward told her and she reciprocated that before he teleported away.

Hilda entered back into the room, pulling her niece close for a hug. “How about some cookies, hmm?”

“On the bright side, cuz,” Ambrose started as the two entered the kitchen. “Their leaving does mean Nicholas can start shacking up in your room again.”

The chair he was about to sit down on pulled out from under him, sending him to the floor, while Sabrina whistled innocently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are definitely not going that well between Sabrina and her father at the moment. Hopefully some time apart will get Edward to start revealing more truths.
> 
> Next chapter is basically Sabrina and Nick doing magic and that leading to...some things and changes that can't be walked back from. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


	16. a little wicked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're not a fan of more intimate scenes skip ahead after Sabrina and Nick head to the academy and move onto when she heads into the kitchen later.

Nick sat on the edge of Sabrina’s bed, mentally reviewing the long-winded idea she’d just gone over with him. He rubbed at the back of his neck as he focused on the important parts of it before slowly replying, “You want to go to the academy every day after school and work on the combination?

“Mhmm.” Her nod was a little too enthusiastic for his liking and he reviewed her words again, trying to figure out what exactly he was missing as she moved over to her vanity to start on her makeup.

“What about cheerleading?” Nick asked after another moment, arching a brow when she easily lifted a shoulder and dropped it, trying to come off as not caring about it.

“I’m sure Prudence would love it if I quit,” Sabrina pointed out as she picked out the color palette she wanted to go with that day.

“Sabrina, you _love_ cheerleading,” he reminded her. Only last week she’d been enthusiastically telling him and Roz about some new routine they were going to start trying out.

She waved that off though, working on perfecting her eyeliner. “It’s fine.”

For a moment, Nick wondered if she’d somehow been replaced in the middle of the night by some weird clone before it finally dawned on him why she was so eager to work on their combined magic. “I know you want to contact Lilith, but you’re not giving up things you like doing so that we can hurry this along.”

“That’s not,” she started, looking at him through the mirror, clearly ready to protest that, but he was already rising and shaking his head.

“You got it in your head that we should contact her and now you’re fixated on the idea,” he continued, arching a brow as she tried to shake her head at that.

She pressed her lips together at his look. “Maybe she has answers!” 

“Probably, but we’re still not dedicating every afternoon to spellwork so we can _maybe_ contact her. I’ll just not show up,” he told her, watching her scowl in the reflection before he leaned against the vanity. “Can’t really work on it without me there.”

“Fine.” She was a little more forceful than she needed to be with her lipliner. “Cheerleading is going to be on Tuesdays and Thursdays anyway and we’ll have worked on it already during the school day.”

“Mhmm.” Nick was pleased she was seeing reason before he added a few more stipulations. “I love you, but no Fridays either. Or weekends.”

Sabrina quirked a brow at that. “You don't get to just use that now as a way to try and steer me toward something else.”

“Don’t I?” Nick asked, trailing a finger along her neck. 

“Nope!” She shivered at his touch before letting out an exasperated sigh and Salem meowed from her pillow, letting the two of them know they were ruining his sleep. He let out a hiss before heading out of the room to find somewhere else to curl up. 

Sabrina turned to face Nick and he had to hold back the urge to brush his thumb against her lips. “Shouldn’t you want to do this too?” she countered, wondering why he was putting so many barriers in place.

“I do,” Nick assured her. “But we’ve got other things to focus on too. And I’d like some hours during the day to hang out with friends, my girlfriend.” He caught hold of her hand and tugged her to stand up with him. Her scowl turned into a delightful little pout at that and he leaned forward to nip her bottom lip, enjoying her moan. “And working on this magic doesn’t count as the two of us hanging out.”

She let out another sigh before sliding her hands into his back pockets. Okay, so _maybe_ he had a point there. “So we’re adding Mondays and Wednesdays?”

“We can add those two days,” he promised, enjoying her grin as he cupped her cheeks. “Now can we head down to breakfast?”

Sabrina pressed up against him, enjoying his inhale of breath. “In a minute,” she murmured before kissing him. She’d meant to keep it soft, knowing they needed to head downstairs and join the rest of her family, but then she kissed him again, and again. He cupped her jaw, bringing her mouth more firmly against his and she was opening to his tongue. 

She wasn’t sure if he’d sat down in the vanity chair of his own accord or if she’d pushed him, moving with him to straddle his lap as their mouths kept meeting, wanting _more_. He swallowed her moan when his hands moved to cup her ass, pulling her more firmly against him as she tugged at his curls. 

The loud thud of knocking against her door, followed by her cousin’s all too cheerful, “Breakfast is ready,” had the two of them gasping as they broke apart. 

“You might want to go wash your face,” Sabrina murmured, wiping her thumb against Nick’s mouth.

“I think you’re going to need to fix your lipstick,” he countered as she moved to stand up before he reached over and helped straighten her headband. “And this is why we’re not focusing on the spell every day.” 

Sabrina rolled her eyes at him, slightly melting when he leaned in and kissed her, lips lingering against hers for a moment longer than necessary before he headed for the bathroom. She sank back down onto the chair and stared at her reflection in the mirror, biting her lip at how flustered she appeared in that moment. She didn’t think any kind of makeup was going to cover that up.

* * *

The thing with arriving early to the witchling meetup meant that Nick and Sabrina had a lot of time on their hands. A few months back that might have meant making sure there was enough ample space for everyone to break off into small groups and pairs for practice, or recounting how many of the candles they’d brought, maybe even checking to make sure they’d remembered an ingredient from Hilda’s botanical room. 

But that was then and Sabrina wasn’t about to complain about how they were spending their time now, even if the bark of the tree Nick currently had her pushed up against was biting into her back. Not with how his teeth scraped against her neck as she squeezed her legs tighter around his waist, desperate to have him closer still. Her gaze was wild as she pulled at his hair, his hand squeezing her thigh that he was holding to help keep her steady before she was guiding his mouth back to hers. Each kiss built on the last, the desperation between the two of them growing, and she couldn’t even gasp as his free hand skirted under her blouse, fingers light against her skin before he was cupping her breast. 

They heard a low whistle. “I never really took you as an exhibitionist, cousin.”

“Far be it from us to stop this little rendezvous.” That was definitely Prudence’s voice. “I think you’ll find that position is a lot better sans clothes though, Sabrina.”

Nick groaned at the interruption, feeling Sabrina tense against him before he pulled back slightly, setting her down on the ground. She looked apologetically up at him as she smoothed out her shirt and skirt. He simply pressed a hand against the tree as he drew in a breath, not sure if he should be thankful it was those two who’d interrupted them or not. 

“You’re showing up at gatherings together now?” Sabrina asked, as she stepped around Nick, looking pointedly at her cousin.

Ambrose nodded at her while touching his shirt and Sabrina looked down, realizing that the buttons of her blouse were a bit askew. “Seemed pointless to come separately when we were together beforehand,” Prudence replied as she sat down on one of the fallen tree trunks. 

“How prudent of you,” Sabrina muttered as she glanced back at Nick, who shook his head at her scowl. 

The others started trickling in, interrupting whatever reply might have been vollied back as they started greeting one another. Nick took the opportunity to head over to her then, wrapping his arms around her as he rested his chin against her shoulder. “Your bottom button still isn’t done,” he murmured, enjoying the flush of her skin at that as she tried to discreetly fix that one as well.

“So, what are we working on today?” Wade asked from his spot on the ground, a small wind tunnel whirling around in front of him and causing some of the leaves to spin around.

“Maybe we could conjure a new creature?” Paige suggested, and a few of the others nodded at that.

“Could we do a demon?” Celeste asked, looking around at the group. “I know we’re supposed to wait for demonology class to really do that, but…”

“It’s pointless to summon one without an exact purpose,” Agatha pointed out as she sat down beside Prudence, Dorcas following suit. “Otherwise it just leads to a messy affair.”

“Perhaps a new spell?” Dorcas looked over at her sisters, smiling as they both nodded.

“Hopefully something a little more challenging now instead of rehashing the same spell you already taught us?” Prudence replied as she looked over at Nick and Sabrina.

Nick kissed Sabrina’s shoulder, trying to assuage the annoyance he could feel bristling up in her body. “I think we’re all ready to move on. Even those who were struggling at first,” the other witch continued, turning her attention to some of the other witches and warlocks who looked away from her penetrating gaze.

“How’s a banishing spell sound?” Sabrina offered up, arching a brow as Prudence looked back at her. “Not your typical one that just banishes a creature back to wherever they came from, but also keeping them from returning to the area you put the spell around?”

Prudence pursed her lips at that before nodding. “It has merit.”

Half an hour later and everyone was paired off and spaced out around the large clearing, switching off between one partner summoning a creature before the other banished it from the area, pushing it out of the area they’d set as their groups. Ambrose moved around the groups with Sabrina and Nick, helping out with the words when needed, adjusting any incorrect hand movements as well before joining with the two on the outskirts of the group.

“Why this one?” Ambrose asked as they watched the others work.

“Our dads gave us a list of spells to teach them,” Nick explained as Sabrina headed away from the two to help Melvin and Elspeth again. “This was the first one.”

They had? That was interesting. “How many are on the list?” 

“Five for now,” Nick glanced over at his friend. “They said they might add some more when they get back.”

“How many do you want to teach today?” Ambrose thought that the group seemed fairly proficient with this one.

“Just this today,” Nick replied as surveyed the group again. “We’ve got another gathering later in the week. We can do another one then. I’d rather them practice for longer and get it right than teach them too fast and have them mixing them up.”

“Not a bad strategy.” Ambrose nodded before reaching over and squeezing his friend’s shoulder. “In fact I’d say it’s one Uncle Edward would say is the mark of a true leader.”

Nick rolled his eyes at that. “I get enough of that shit from my father, Ambrose.”

“Not surprising, is it? You far exceed anyone else here and I’d wager in any other coven in the world with your studies,” Ambrose pointed out. “And I believe it's been stated several times over that you are the best conjurer and binder since my uncle began learning both skills.”

It was hard not to swell with at least a little bit of pride at that comparison even if Nick did cross his arms. “I think he’s certain you’ll surpass him before long,” Ambrose continued and Nick snorted at that. 

He nodded toward Sabrina. “I’m pretty sure she’s going to give me a run for that title soon enough.”

“And you wouldn’t mind that at all,” Ambrose mused as Nick looked over at him. 

“Not even a little bit,” Nick grinned, winking at the other warlock. “Especially not with how damn sexy she looks when she’s deep in concentration.”

Ambrose chuckled at that, clapping his friend on the shoulder before Sabrina headed back over to them. 

“What’s so funny?” she asked, looking between the two. She scrunched her nose when her cousin reached over flicking it before wandering away. Nick simply grinned at her when she focused on him before she rolled her eyes. 

Boys. 

Sometimes she didn’t think she’d ever understand them.

* * *

“How about milkshakes at Cerberus’ after school?” Roz suggested as she walked with Sabrina through the hallway. 

Sabrina bit her lip at that, looking apologetically at her friend. “Nick and I need to be at the Academy.”

“Again?” Hadn’t they gone there yesterday...and the day before that? “How many times is that this week?”

“We’re free on Friday!” Sabrina told her, her smile a little too bright and pinging Roz’s suspicious behavior radar.

Something was definitely up.

“Are you guys doing classes there now too?” That would be a pretty reasonable explanation. Maybe Sabrina’s dad had wanted her to do some there? 

“No.” Sabrina shook her head as the two headed into the library together, snagging a table to work on their report together. “We’re working on our independent study.”

Roz arched her brow at that, motioning for her friend to continue. “Nick and I can combine our magic. Make something new with it,” Sabrina started before looking around them and quickly throwing up a privacy spell. She leaned toward her friend. “Remember that earthquake before break?”

Roz nodded, leaning forward toward her. “Yeah?” 

Sabrina pressed her lips together. Well. “That was kind of us. Nick and I.”

Roz opened her mouth before quickly closing it as she tried to process that. “You guys caused the earthquake…”

“Technically it was a shockwave but I think an earthquake was what was reported,” Sabrina told her before letting out a sigh. “We’re practicing with it so we can maybe do more than we can now.”

Like more earthquakes? That probably wasn’t right. “What are you trying to do exactly?”

Sabrina rested an elbow on the table, propping herself up with it as she leaned against it. “Summon Lilith.”

Roz arched a brow at that. “You can’t do that with a regular spell?”

“She’s _Lilith_ , Roz. That’d be like trying to summon the Dark Lord or your God,” Sabrina explained, shaking her head before she let out a long sigh.

“Fair point.” Roz grinned at her friend’s frustration, knowing the look on Sabrina’s face all too well. “But, Brina, are you maybe doing that single-minded focused thing you do with this?”

Sabrina rolled her eyes at that before leaning back in the chair. “Nick basically said the same thing.”

Roz’s pointed look had her sighing. “ _I know_ ,” Sabrina grumbled. “We put in boundaries.” 

“ _You_ put in boundaries?” she eyed her friend, watching as Sabrina squirmed a little.

“We’re only doing it Monday to Thursday. Weekends we don’t practice,” Sabrina replied, smoothing her hands down her skirt.

Mmmhmm. “I’m guessing that was Nick’s idea.” Roz wasn’t surprised when Sabrina didn’t reply. “ _Maybe_ , pushing yourself isn’t the way to go about it though. How did you guys first manage it?”

Sabrina could feel her cheeks redden a bit even as her lips pulled into a grin. “We were making out.”

Roz leaned forward, lips twitching at that admission. “You combined magic while making out.”

“We were feeling out our magic and then it led to making out,” Sabrina murmured, nose wrinkling as she let out a giggle.

Roz grinned back at her friend, loving the happiness she saw in her. “Are you making out now when you do this?”

“No.” Sabrian sighed at that. “We’re trying to manage it without making out.”

“Maybe that’s the problem,” Roz pointed out and Sabrina arched a brow at that.

“How are we supposed to control it if we’re making out, Roz?” She really didn’t see how that was possible.

“Maybe you’re not supposed to control it?” Roz suggested with a shrug. “Maybe it hasn’t quite finished...becoming whatever it is yet.”

Oh.

Maybe Roz was onto something.

“But come on,” Roz nodded toward their bags. “We should probably get started on this report.”

* * *

Roz’s words from earlier continued to circulate through Sabrina’s head for the rest of the day. No matter how hard she tried to shift her mindset toward something else it kept winding back to that simple phrase-- _maybe it hadn’t finished becoming whatever it was_. It could explain why no matter how much they’d worked at trying to strengthen it since their fathers had left that once they stopped touching one another the light just seemed to disappear into the world around them. 

She watched Nick scribbling another set of ideas onto the chalkboard of their academy room as she set the candles down along the circle, wrinkling her nose at the methodical way he was going about it. Five different ideas were written on the board soon enough and he wiped his hands on the cloth set out on the desk before nodding at what he’d written.

What had happened to simply feeling out their magic? That freedom and passion that had entwined so easily together when they’d started with this idea. 

Sabrina quirked her lips as she knelt down in the circle, wondering if maybe that was their problem. It was her fault. She’d started pushing for them to figure this out and get a handle on it so they could talk to Lilith. Of course that meant Nick was going to try and strategize a way to make that happen. Everyone always called out her single-minded focusedness but he was just as bad at it. 

He was just better at trying to form a plan than her rush into a situation and play it by ear from there method. 

“So we’ll start with the first one,” Nick told her as he headed over to join her in the circle. “If that doesn’t work we can move onto the next…”

He was still talking, but she barely registered a word of it, her focus on his lips. She licked her own, scraping her teeth along her bottom lip before she snapped her fingers, lighting all of the candles at once. Sabrina almost felt bad about the fact that they were not going to be getting to anything on his list.

“Sabrina,” he started, but she was already pushing out her magic, letting it roll around the two of them before she surged forward to kiss him. She grinned against his mouth at the startled noise he made before he was kissing her back, hands sliding so easily into her hair. 

It was one of her favorite things, how he seemed to want to hold her as close as he could manage, never quite able to not touch her. Even before they had gotten together he’d reached out to her for comfort and she’d done so to him, knowing he helped steady her. There was more of it now though, the freedom to seek one another out something they both seemed to embrace with an increasing ferocity.

Nick released his own magic, letting it swirl around with hers as the playfulness stretched between them. Her giggle as they rested their foreheads against one another, feeling his magic tickle her skin had him stroking her cheek and drawing her back in, _needing_ her closer as her magic pulsed around him. His tongue stroked into her mouth, hand curling around the back of her hair to try and keep hold of her as her fingers tangled in his hair as well. 

_Mine_ seemed to be all that echoed through Sabrina’s mind as she pushed at his chest, getting him to slip backward a bit so she could move, straddling his waist as their mouths kept finding one another. Every nip and tug, the slide of his lips against her skin as he moved away from her mouth, taking a route she was becoming increasingly familiar with across her jaw and down her neck had her magic rippling in the circle around them, sliding against his but not quite combining. 

She needed _more_. More of his hands, more of his mouth, more of his skin against hers. The need for the magic was forgotten as she tugged at his shirt, thankful he seemed to understand what she wanted as he helped her remove it before his mouth was against her neck again. 

It wasn’t enough to run her hands along his bare back though, the friction of pressing into him through her stockings as she rocked against him, pulling at his hair not quite what she wanted. She took hold of his hands, bringing them up to her blouse, guiding them to the buttons there as she kissed him again, sighing happily as he started to help her undo them. 

Nick could see it in her gaze, that pure look of need that seemed to course through her as his hands trailed over her bare shoulders before sliding down the straps of her bra. It was her hands on his belt, working to try and tug it out of its loop that had him pausing though.

“Sabrina,” he started but she was pulling him back closer, seeking out his mouth, smiling against him as she got his belt undone. Her little wiggle of triumph had him groaning.

Nick had learned long ago that he could never deny her anything, letting her pull him down with her as she rested back against the floor. Her nails raked down his back and he let out a hiss at that, feeling her grin against his lips before she kissed him again, tugging him closer. Every touch, every press of her mouth against hers seemed to hum against him, desperate to uncover more of her skin.

Their magic was pulsing, combining into that white light that they had been seeking control over, but it was an afterthought, something they didn’t notice as she fumbled with the clasp of her skirt. Nick caught her hand at that, remembering a conversation they’d had last year in the woods. She arched a brow at him, wondering why he’d stopped her, before he snapped his fingers, causing each candle to blow out as he murmured a quick _lanuae magicae_. 

Sabrina stared at him, confused as to why they were on her bed instead of the floor at the academy when he started helping to undo the buttons of her skirt so she could shimmy out of it as well. 

“You didn’t want to do this in a ritual,” Nick reminded as he skirted his fingers along the lace under her skirt. He watched her carefully, wanting to be certain that he was reading the situation correctly.

She reached up, cupping his cheek at that, and she nodded before pulling him back to her, needing to kiss him again. It was a whirlwind of emotion and touch after that and Sabrina didn’t think she could quite recall how they’d gotten out of the rest of their clothes before Nick was between her thighs. He seemed hellbent on proving that everything she’d ever heard about his skills with his damn mouth and tongue was true, any chance of coherent thought drifting quickly away as she curled her hands in her sheets, giving into the fire he was able to build in her body. 

Sabrina didn’t even mind his smug smile as he moved up her body, fingers trailing along her abdomen before he kissed her again. “Nick,” she breathed out after what felt like a lifetime, their foreheads pressed together as he settled between her thighs again. She murmured out the contraception spell, hand sliding across her stomach as she finished, cementing it in place.

“I’ve got you,” Nick breathed out and she nodded at that, overwhelmed by all of the new sensations that he was bringing about in her. They moved together, somehow finding a rhythm that worked for the two of them, mouths finding one another again. 

She didn’t mean to let out her magic as she gasped into his mouth, but it moved all the same, encompassing the two of them and causing Nick to groan into her neck as hers seemed to pull his magic from within him. That had definitely never happened before for him, feeling it wrap around the two of them, only increasing the desire they had for one another. 

He loved her hands drawing across his back as he shifted, trying to hold her closer. He wasn’t surprised to find out that she was vocal, had a feeling she might be as she gasped and cried out while digging her nails into his back. Even better was how she eventually grasped at his hair, tugging him back to her, needing his mouth on hers. 

Their powers combined, weaving around the two of them and sinking deep into their skin as she cried out once last time, eyes shutting as he found his own release. 

Nick pressed a quick kiss to her lips before rolling off of her, even as he tugged her to curl up against him. There were no words between them for several moments, but Nick knew it wouldn’t last. 

Sabrina Spellman wasn’t the best with silences.

To his surprise though she didn’t speak, simply looking up at him, smiling softly before she rested her head against his chest. He brought his hand up, stroking his fingers through her hair before pressing a kiss to her forehead, content to simply lay there with her for a while longer. 

It wasn’t like they had anywhere they needed to be.

* * *

Sabrina headed into the Spellman kitchen, breathing in the aroma of what her aunt was cooking. She wasn’t entirely sure what it was this time, but it smelled delicious, having her lick her lips in anticipation. Hilda was at the stove, stirring something in a pot while she waved her hand to pull spices down from the cupboard.

“Do you need help with dinner, auntie?” Sabrina asked as she leaned against the kitchen table.

“That’s sweet of you, love, but I’m nearly done.” Hilda looked back at her, offering up a smile before she nodded toward the table. “You can set the table if you like.”

She could definitely help with that. “Just us five, right?”

“Mmhmm.” Hilda turned back to the pot, taste testing what was inside before adding a bit more pepper. “Where’s Nicholas?” She was certain the two of them had been up in her niece’s bedroom together earlier.

“Showering.” Sabrina pressed her lips together at that, cheeks reddening a little as she remembered the kiss he’d given her before he’d headed into her bathroom once she was done with it.

She couldn’t quite stop grinning as she set out the plates and silverware, not bothering with the glasses until she knew what they would be drinking. Ambrose strode into the kitchen, taking his usual seat and opened his mouth to say something, quickly shutting it as he looked at her. She ignored him, taking the pitcher of water out from the fridge and setting it on the table.

He was still looking at her. “What?” she asked, narrowing her eyes as she looked at him.

“Hmm.” He tapped his fingers against his cheeks, still considering her.

“Do I have something on my face?” Sabrina tried to look at her reflection in the salad bowl Hilda handed to her. Her cousin didn’t reply. “Ambrose!”

“There’s something different,” he finally stated, leaning back in his chair as he kept looking at her. 

Sabrina tried not to react to that. There was no way he could notice anything was different about her. “Leave your cousin alone,” Zelda told him as she entered the room, sitting down at her usual chair.

“I can’t quite put my finger on it yet,” he continued and Zelda looked over at him.

“You can go get us a bottle of wine,” she told him, waving for him to do so as Nick headed into the room.

Sabrina sat down, smiling over at him as he took the seat beside her. “Hey,” she murmured as he leaned over toward her, kissing her in greeting. Their lips lingered longer than usual, her looking up at him with a slightly hooded gaze as he brushed his fingers against her cheek.

“You had sex.”

Sabrina pulled back from Nick at her cousin’s voice, eyes widening in a look that Nick could only describe as horror as she stared at him. He pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh at her mortification as she looked over at her cousin. 

“Ambrose!” Hilda started, cutting him a look as she placed the stew down on the middle of the table.

“You did, didn’t you?” Ambrose continued, looking over at Nick. Sabrina glared at him, cutting her gaze to her boyfriend as well, thankful Nick simply reached for the breadbasket. “I know I’m right anyway. You would have just rolled your eyes at me if I was wrong. Congratulations, cousin! And I’m sure it's a relief to finally get some release, Nick.”

Sabrina kicked him under the table at that, hoping his shin hurt, while deliberately not looking over at Nick. 

“Are you in need of some berries of prophylaxis?” Hilda asked as she took her seat.

Sabrina nearly spat out the water she’d been drinking, coughing as Nick patted her back. “Can we maybe not have this discussion?”

“Oh psh, Sabrina, it’s a perfectly reasonable question,” Zelda countered as she arched a brow. “Are you?”

“I’m good, auntie,” Sabrina replied, wondering how rude it would be to teleport out of the room.

“See that it stays that way,” Zelda looked between the two of them. “I’ve no issue with the two of you enjoying one another--frankly, I encourage it-- _as long_ as there are no babies added to this for quite some time.”

Sabrina just stared at her aunt. Was this really happening? 

“Oh, can you imagine a little baby with her hair and his eyes?” Hilda murmured, sighing happily at the image she had going on in her head. 

“I’m sure they’d be just as much of a troublemaker as these two are,” Ambrose added, winking at her.

Sabrina glanced over at Nick, arching a brow at his grin. “You’re enjoying this way too much,” she murmured, glaring at him,

“I don’t hate thinking about a future with you,” he told her, and she rolled her eyes at that.

“Smooth,” she murmured before leaning over to kiss him again.

“And please keep it to your bedroom or bathroom,” Zelda added and Sabrina was ready for a dark hole to swallow her again. “The last thing we need is some heirloom broken because you two were a little too enthusiastic.”

“We’ll make sure to keep that in mind,” Nick promised and Sabrina sighed, hopeful that was the end of the conversation. Even if from the look her cousin was giving her meant he was far from done discussing this with her.

* * *

Sabrina rested back against Nick, fitting in easily between his legs on the couch as they attempted to watch _The Sound of Music_ together. Hilda had chosen it to watch with the two of them, but she’d been pulled away by a phone call for the mortuary, waving at the two of them to continue with it. Nick had been lazily drawing his fingers along her arm as they watched, something that he’d done for basically as long as she’d known him. 

While him doing so had definitely sparked longing in her before--especially those first few weeks after her Dark Baptism--now it was taking all of her inner strength to try and focus on the movie, to not let that gentle touch send her mind back to earlier in the day. Those same fingers had stroked her like that along her thighs the second time around, going painstakingly slow until she hadn’t been able to take it any longer. 

Her auntie would probably know exactly what they were up to if they weren’t in the room when she returned so she breathed through the desire he had uncurling through her, trying to focus on Maria singing to the Von Trapp children.

“You’re wonderful, Scratch,” Ambrose started as he entered the room, popping a piece of their forgotten popcorn into his mouth. “But I’m stealing my cousin. You’ll have her back in about an hour.”

“I’m pretty sure I should get a say in this?” Sabrina protested as Nick arched a brow at him. 

“What she said,” Nick murmured, curious as to why Ambrose needed to talk with her in private.

“We can discuss your sex life here with Nick if you want,” Ambrose replied and Sabrina sat right up at that, certain her cousin would in fact try to do so if she didn’t go with him.

“I’ll see you in a little bit,” she told Nick, narrowing her eyes at his lips twitched with amusement. “Keep watching the movie. We’re almost at my favorite part, even if the guy turns about to be an asshole. The song is still a classic.”

“Are we not finishing the movie?” Hilda asked as she returned, looking between the three. 

“Sabrina and Ambrose are going to have some cousin time, but I’m still in for the movie,” Nick assured her as she sat back on her chair. “Means more popcorn for us.”

‘Thank you,’ Sabrina mouthed before letting Ambrose tug her out of the room. They headed up to his room and she rolled her eyes as he plopped down onto his bed. Did he really think they were going to have a conversation about her sex life? Because _no_. That wasn’t happening. But it was better to have that argument up in his room instead of in front of an audience.

“Do you really think I’m going to discuss this with you?” Sabrina asked as she sunk down onto one of the beanbags, picking up one of the random books he had scattered around the place.

“Of course,” Ambrose replied, looking earnestly down at her. He wasn’t surprised when she stared back at him or the little nose wrinkle that looked so much like their Aunt Zelda’s unamused expression that he tried not to laugh. 

He leaned forward a little, watching as she flipped through the book, and knew he was going to need to goad her. “Or are you trying not to tell me that it wasn’t good?”

“No. It was _amazing_ ,” Sabrina protested before blowing out an annoyed sigh of air, glaring at his smirk. He motioned for her to continue. “Perfect even.” She shut the book and held it close to her chest, sappy little smile tugging at her lips before she looked over at her cousin. 

Sabrina bit her lip, nose scrunching as she whispered, “I kind of can’t wait to do it again.”

“Considering how the two of you could barely stop touching one another before I doubt you’ll be waiting long, cousin,” Ambrose replied, pleased to hear this coming from her. There was an energy to her that he’d been waiting to see and he sunk down onto the floor so they were on the same eye level.

“I mean we already did twice today so maybe he won’t want to,” Sabrina reasoned, weighing the idea in her head.

Ambrose chuckled at that, amused by the furrowing of her brow. “He’ll want to, Sabrina.” The slight blush to her cheeks before she touched her lips, clearly remembering something that had happened earlier had him nudging her with his foot. “Do you have any questions?”

“Questions?” Sabrina looked back at him, eyes widening slightly. She had no idea what she should even ask.

“About anything at all,” Ambrose told her. “You’re not blushing three shades of red darker than your cheeks usually are so I figure we can actually have this conversation now.” 

“I don’t think I have any questions….well.” She paused, pressing her lips together as she considered what she’d been wondering about earlier. “Except…”

“Except?” Ambrose nodded at her, motioning for her to continue.

“He’s really good at...you know,” Sabrina replied, and Ambrose watched as she looked away from him, clearly remembering something else as she grinned and squirmed. Every other witchling did say that Nick was apparently very gifted with that tongue of his so he had a pretty good idea of what she was thinking about.

“And I want to…” she continued, hopeful that he wouldn’t make her go into too many details. “So do you have any tips so I’m not fumbling through?”

Sabrina wasn’t sure if she should be thankful or very worried for Ambrose’s sudden enthusiasm, watching as he rubbed his hands together. “First, do you want to start with tips for how to use your hands or your mouth?”

She swallowed at that. “Let’s go with hands first.”

He grinned at her and Sabrina’s eyes widened as her cousin started going into great detail about the various ways she could pleasure Nick as well, cataloguing a few that she was going to want to try out later and see if her boyfriend enjoyed them. 

True to his word Ambrose had her back down to join in the movie an hour later. Hilda was wiping her eyes as the wedding played out on the screen while Sabrina rejoined Nick on the couch. “Good cousin time?” Nick murmured as she settled back against him.

“It was enlightening,” she replied, cuddling against him and Nick arched a brow at that. She leaned forward and pressed a brief kiss to his mouth, not quite giving him enough time to kiss her back before she settled her head against his chest again. “I’ll share with you later.”

He really hoped they didn’t have too much longer until this movie was finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just have to say that you're all amazing and thanks so much for reading.
> 
> Next chapter Sabrina and Nick can't really keep their hands off one another, attempt to discover what they can manage now, and something...dark comes to Greendale.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	17. no rest for the wicked

It wasn’t the first time she’d ever made out in the library. Sabrina could remember doing so with Harvey several months back. They’d been sitting on one of the couches and while she vaguely recalled the beginnings of need stirring inside of her as their mouths had kept coming together it was completely different from kissing Nick in the library. With Harvey it had been almost sweet and while Sabrina knew Nick’s kisses could also be that way sometimes, this was anything like that.

It had started off almost playful, a few snuck kisses as they’d looked for a few books to use for their Sacred Geometry project. Some glances over at one another as they’d stood side by side, fingers brushing against one another as they flipped the pages. Each little touch and look only seemed to have upped the intensity that flowed through them. So it really shouldn’t have surprised her that as soon as Melvin had headed off with his books, leaving them as the only two in that area of the library, that any chance of actually reading had gone out the window.

She wasn’t sure which of them had made the first move after the other warlock had left, the two of them moving toward one another and her ending up pressed against the wall in between two bookshelves. His grin was wolfish and Sabrina giggled as she ran her hands through his hair before pulling him in for a kiss. And another. And another. Each one only intensified the hunger that Nick seemed to be able to build up so easily inside of her. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get enough of him. 

Nick rested his forehead against hers as they both paused to catch their breath, thumb brushing against her cheek. “We probably should get back with the others and read that book.”

He was probably right. She leaned into his touch, sighing softly as he tugged her forward as he stepped back. “We wouldn’t want to get a zero on this project,” she reasoned before wiping at his mouth to try and clear away her lipstick. It didn’t quite work. 

Nick dropped a kiss on her lips and then another and Sabrina nearly allowed for one more before pressing her hands into his chest. “Book,” she reminded, nodding toward the one they needed, still laid out on the page they’d turned to before abandoning it. 

He kissed her forehead before reaching over and picking up the book, wrapping his arm around her waist as they started walking through the stacks to join the rest of their class. “You have a little something, Nicky,” Prudence told him, touching the right side of her mouth before looking over at Sabrina.

Sabrina slipped into a seat, not sure how to take the impressed look she was receiving from the other witch as Nick wiped again at his face before sitting down beside her. They turned their attention to the book in front of them, looking through it together for the design that they were supposed to try and replicate later. 

“Any update on when your fathers are returning?” Wade asked as he looked up from his book a few minutes later. 

“Not for at least another week,” Nick replied as he settled his hand against Sabrina’s back, drawing a symbol with his fingers. 

Sabrina blinked, a rush of power rippling through her at his touch, seeming to come from exactly where he was touching her. She closed her eyes, working to breathe through it. Nick paused his movements when he felt her tense and glanced over at her, confused. She hadn’t ever tensed at him touching her like that. He arched a brow as he watched her shiver and then look over at him, spotting a mixture of ecstasy and confusion in her gaze.

“You okay?” Nick murmured and she nodded. 

The feeling had dissipated and she turned back to the book, intent on focusing on the symbol when his fingers started drawing against her skin again, the same intensity rippling through her again. 

“Stop,” she breathed out, turning to look at him and Nick dropped his hand. She grabbed hold of it before he could move away completely, not quite sure how to explain what was happening. She didn’t like the flash of hurt she spotted in his eyes before he offered an apologetic smile. “No, Nick…”

She took a breath, trying to remember exactly how the symbol he’d been drawing went before slowly tracing it along the back of his hand. Sabrina watched his face, felt him tense, thought she could see the ripple of power that ran through him at that before he stared wide-eyed at her. 

“I think we need another book,” he suggested as the two of them rose, ignoring the amused snorts of their classmates as they headed away from the group. 

“So that’s never happened before,” Nick murmured once they’d stopped moving. “I’ve drawn that symbol on you before. It’s the triquetra.”

Sabrina nodded. “The trinity knot. For earth, sea and sky.”

“Or love,” Nick told her as he reached over, brushing a strand of her hair back. “An eternal one, transcending place and time. Or at least that’s what my mom told me.”

Her breath caught at the adoration in his gaze. “It’s never brought about that….”

“Rush of power?” Nick suggested and Sabrina nodded, reaching over his hand, wanting to hold onto it.

“Our powers combined yesterday when we…” She ducked her head, not quite able to look at him directly as she bit her lip, smile tugging into place. 

“And then settled inside.” Nick blinked as he remembered that. He’d been so caught up in everything else, the feel of her, her cry of pleasure that he hadn’t had time to pay attention to the magic settling into his bones. He’d also been far too distracted since then to really pay much mind to how his magic seemed to have shifted some since then. 

He was going to need to experiment with it and see what else might have changed; they both were. 

“I don’t know what it means,” Sabrina murmured, searching his expression to see if maybe he had a clue.

“I’m pretty sure this is unchartered territory, Spellman,” he told her as he squeezed her hand. “Think we can handle it?”

She shook her head at his cocky smile, unable to help laughing at that bit of challenge that had been in his voice. “I’d say if anyone can it's us, but maybe don’t draw that symbol on me. At least while we’re at school.”

“Free to do so after school?” he asked as he tugged her closer, barely any space between them. She nodded at that, lips brushing against his as he cupped her cheek, bringing her even closer before he kissed her. Her hands curled in his shirt, not wanting to let go but the bell rang, signaling that class was over, and Sabrina knew it was only a matter of seconds before they needed to separate.

“Come on, Romeo,” Gerald called out from somewhere behind them. “You’re supposed to be helping with the necromancy lecture today.”

Nick groaned at that, pulling back slightly from Sabrina. Her pout was adorable and he nearly leaned down to kiss it away but Elspeth was calling out Sabrina’s name. “I’ll see you after school,” Sabrina told him as she pulled away, moving off to collect her bag and head out of the library with her friend.

Gerald nudged Nick in the shoulder. “You coming? Because we both know Brother Pierce will ream us out for ages if we’re late.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nick turned, grinning at his friend who handed him his bag. 

Gerald shook his head. On one hand he knew that Nick had always been interested in Sabrina, that the two of them would inevitably head into one another’s orbit and collide together. He just never quite expected for their bond to simply keep growing instead of crashing together and dying out like everyone else’s did. Some fizzled around them, reigniting every so often, but none of them kept burning just as brightly if not brighter like Sabrina and Nick seemed to. 

“Let’s see how much I have to correct Brother Pierce’s assumptions this time,” Nick mused before nodding toward the door.

“I’m going with at least three,” Gerald replied before the two headed out of the library together.

* * *

Roz leaned back against the booth, needing a moment to take in everything that Sabrina had filled her in on. She watched as her best friend stirred her straw through her milkshake, unable to help smiling as well when Sabrina looked lost in thought for a moment while touching her lips and letting out a happy sigh. It was nice to see something good happening in her friend’s life after all the craziness with hellhounds and last year’s attacks. 

“This explains why the two of you are even more all over each other than you were before,” Roz finally offered up before snagging a fry from the bowl they were sharing.

“We’re not all over each other,” Sabrina protested before taking a sip of her shake.

“I don’t think either of you ate anything at lunch,” Roz pointed out, watching as Sabrina shrugged at that. “You were too busy making out.”

“We had big breakfasts,” Sabrina replied before taking a fry.

“Uh huh. You’re being safe though, right?” Roz asked, not really doubting that, but it was always good to ask.

Was everyone going to ask a version of that question? “We are.”

That was good to hear. “What does Nick think about the magic thing though?” 

“We’re going to experiment with some spells later, see what might have changed? Shifted?” Sabrina wasn’t sure how to describe it. She knew something was different but she couldn’t quite determine what it was just yet. “But how did your date go with Jake?”

“Passable.” Roz tapped a fry against her lips. “I’m debating a second.” 

“Passable?” Sabrina had learned long ago that word could mean so many things from Roz.

“The movie choice wasn’t stellar but dinner conversation before that was good,” Roz started and Sabrina nodded along. “He didn’t try to feel me up during the movie, so that’s a plus for him. But he wanted the fake cheese.”

Sabrina made a face at that. “I think it's just a guy thing.”

Roz shuddered. “Just get the salted pretzel instead.”

“Agreed,” Sabrina murmured before she heard an almost familiar sound coming from the counter. It was her Aunt Hilda’s laughter, except...there was an almost flirty edge to it this time. 

She glanced over, nodding for Roz to look as well, and the two watched as her aunt and Dr. Cee laughed about something together. Sabrina’s grin grew as her aunt touched the shopkeeper’s arm, watching as he leaned into that touch before she turned away to deal with some customers. 

“Has anything happened with that yet?” Roz asked, nodding toward where Dr. Cee stood, smiling as he watched Hilda seat a table.

“Not yet,” Sabrina told her, leaning forward. “But I think the flirting has upped a notch this last week. Just neither of them has made a move yet.”

“Well, considering how long it took you and Nick to make a move,” Roz mused and Sabrina threw her napkin at her. 

“How is everything, my loves?” Hilda asked as she stopped by their table and the two girls turned toward her.

“You should ask him out, Auntie,” Sabrina told her, watching as her aunt’s cheeks reddened at that before Hilda waved her off.

“There’s a Dracula double feature in the afternoon on Wednesday next week,” Roz pointed out, nodding toward the movie advertisement on the placemat.

“I’m pretty sure that’s the day you have off and he has Mr. Jenson running this place,” Sabrina added as she glanced over at Roz who nodded along with that. 

Hilda looked down at the placemat, fingers drawing along the movie times. “We get the happiness that we make, isn’t that what you always tell me,” Sabrina prodded, smiling softly at her aunt when she looked up at her.

“Do you think he’ll say yes?” Hilda looked between the two, taking a deep breath as they nodded.

“I mean he keeps looking over here at you and smiling,” Roz pointed out, grinning as the older woman’s eyes widened at that.

“Really?” Hilda glanced back, spotting Cee doing so and smiled over at him before looking back at the girls. “I don’t know…”

“You’ll never know unless you do it, will you, auntie?” Sabrina reminded her as she reached over and gave her aunt’s hand a squeeze. “And I can always hex him if says no.”

“You’re not hexing anyone,” Hilda told her, squeezing back. “We leave that to Zelda.”

She turned at that and Roz and Sabrina watched Hilda head back to Cee. Sabrina wasn’t sure when she’d started holding her breath while waiting to see how the conversation played out, hating that they were far enough away that they couldn’t quite hear what was being said. But their body language seemed happy, smiles on both of their faces, heads nodding before Cee had to head back into the kitchen to cook something. Hilda turned toward them after he left and Sabrina finally let out her breath as her aunt nodded, smiling what she thought might have been the biggest smile Sabrina had ever seen on her before. 

She gave a thumbs up to her aunt, Roz following along with that, before laughing as Hilda waved the two of them off and turned to greet some new customers. 

“Seems love is just blossoming for the Spellmans,” Roz started and Sabrina nodded.

“Well, it _is_ almost February,” she reminded her friend. “And hey, maybe Jake will manage to get to three dates.”

“Stranger things have happened,” Roz grinned at her friend as they tapped their milkshakes together before settling back in to continue their conversation.

* * *

Ambrose plopped down onto the couch behind his cousin, watching as she attempted to focus on the spellbook in front of her. He picked up one of the others on the table, quirking a brow at the Void Codex before idly glancing through it. He didn’t spot any of Nick’s books on the table, nor did his jacket seem to be hanging on the coat rack by the door. It seemed his cousin was alone. Even Salem didn’t seem to be puttering around the mortuary right then. 

He tapped the book against his mouth before letting out a heavy sigh. Sabrina shifted on the floor but didn’t turn around so he dropped the book onto the table beside her before letting out another one. There was still no acknowledgement from her and Ambrose watched as she mouthed along to whatever spell she was reading. He shifted so that he was sitting behind her and read over her shoulder.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be right now?” Sabrina asked, finally looking back at him, eyes narrowing as he leaned back against the couch, smiling much too brightly at her. She knew this mood of his all too well. It was his _I’m bored_ one and if she didn’t have a spell to memorize she’d have allowed him to drag her into whatever mischief was uncurling in his head. 

But she wanted to memorize it before having to leave for the gathering in thirty minutes.

“Or something to do?” At that point she’d be fine with him going to do Prudence if it meant he stopped bugging her. Not that she was going to say those words out loud. 

“And miss out on some one on one time with my favorite cousin?” Ambrose asked, ruffling her hair. “Never.”

“I’m your only cousin,” Sabrina pointed out as she tried to move out of his range. 

“That we know of,” he countered and she rolled her eyes at him. She didn’t like how he slid down onto the floor next to her, his voice dropping low, for her ears only. “So did you try doing that thing I told you about?” 

She elbowed him, cheeks burning. “We’re not having this discussion right now.”

“He’s not here,” Ambrose protested, waving around the room. Nick wasn’t even in the house. So there was no chance of him overhearing anything.

“But the aunties are,” Sabrina pointed out, narrowing her eyes at him.

He shrugged that off. “They’re busy.”

Sabrina snorted at that. “And these walls have ears.” She was pretty sure Zelda had them spelled so she could overhear any and all conversations.

“Unless you have a privacy spell up, which I am happy to say the one around your room seems to be doing nicely,” he told her and Sabrina dropped her head onto the book she was supposed to be looking at. Her cousin had zero shame. “Did you try using your--”

“Ambrose!” she slapped her hand over his mouth, trying to get him to stop.

“Try using your what, sweetheart?” Hilda asked as she entered the room, pulling her knitting project out from the under the chair.

“Nothing, auntie,” Sabrina hurriedly replied, pleased that at least Ambrose didn’t seem like he was going to say anything else with her there. 

“No Nicholas?” Hilda looked around, noticing that his books weren’t spread out at the table like most nights.

“He has a meeting with Father Highmore,” Sabrina informed her before looking back down at her book. “He should be home in another thirty minutes or so.”

Ambrose arched a brow at her word choice, locking his gaze with Zelda’s as she entered the room, noting that she’d done the same. ‘Home’, he mouthed to her and she waved him off. “Do you know what the meeting is about?” Zelda asked, tapping her fingers along the armrest.

Sabrina shrugged. “Coven matters.”

“Yes, but what coven matters?” Zelda persisted and Sabrina looked up at that.

“I don’t know. Am I supposed to?” Because she’d never had to before.

Zelda studied her for a long moment. “It could have come up during a conversation at some point.”

“I don’t think they’re having many verbal conversations right now, Aunt Zee,” Ambrose replied and Sabrina elbowed him again.

“You’re not as funny as you think you are,” she hissed through her teeth.

“I’m hilarious,” Ambrose told her as he rubbed at his side.

Sabrina stuck her tongue out at him before looking back at her aunt. “I don’t think Nick really wants to go to the meetings though, so I don’t pry for information about them.”

Zelda hmmed at that, not seeing anything but honesty in her niece’s gaze. “I take it that your independent study is proceeding well? There hasn’t been any further shockwaves at the very least.”

Ummmm. “We’re making progress.”

“Why your father is letting you play around with such magic is beyond me,” Zelda bemoaned before pressing her lips together. “Especially when the two of you are so young and still have decades of learning ahead of you.”

“Probably for the same reason he’s having us teach the witchlings his magic,” Sabrina replied before looking back at her book. “If we figure out how to do it now then it’s normal, like breathing, instead of something we’d struggle with adapting to in a few centuries.”

Zelda looked over at her sister, wanting to make sure she’d heard the same thing. Hilda’s confusion as she looked back at her confirmed Zelda’s suspicions. “He’s having you teach the witchlings?”

Sabrina didn’t bother looking up, just nodded. “He gave us a list of spells to work on with them.”

“What was on this list?” Zelda persisted, making a mental note that Sabrina didn’t seem to be seeing the gravity of the situation. Not that it surprised her. Even more interesting was the fact that her nephew was nodding along.

Ambrose rattled off the list of spells, confirming her rising suspicion that he’d known about this too. Sabrina arched a brow at him. “Nick told me at the last meeting.”

“Quite an interesting selection of spells,” Zelda mused as she settled back against her chair. 

“I guess so,” Sabrina murmured, finally looking up. She wasn’t sure what to make of her aunt’s furrowed brow, wondering what wheels were turning in the older witch’s head. 

The front door opened though and they all turned, spotting Amalia entering the room and then Nick a few moments later. He sunk down onto the floor beside Sabrina and leaned against her, thoroughly done with coven matters. She pressed a kiss to his head before running her fingers through his hair.

“How was your meeting with Father Highmore?” Zelda asked while Hilda simultaneously got out, “Do you want me to heat up some dinner for you?”

“I ate with him, but thank you,” Nick replied, offering Hilda a smile before looking over at Zelda. “And it was fine. There’s a land dispute he wanted me to weigh in on.”

“What fun,” Ambrose made a face, pleased he wasn’t pulled into that sort of mess.

“Land dispute?” Zelda prodded and Nick let out a groan.

“I’m honestly trying to forget about it,” he muttered and Sabrina pressed another kiss to his head. 

“Poor baby,” she murmured, wrapping an arm around him. 

“Did he inform you of your fathers’ update?” Zelda asked and all of them looked over at her, Nick sitting up at her brisk tone.

“No.”

Zelda wasn’t surprised by that fact. It seemed everyone left telling the children to her. “It looks as though they may not manage to be back before Lupercalia.”

“That’s like triple the time they thought they would be gone,” Sabrina sank back against the couch, deflating a little at the news. Nick pressed a hand to her thigh, trying to offer some comfort. 

“Be that as it may, this means we’ll all need to start pitching in for the anniversary planning,” Zelda informed them and the two let out a groan. Of course it did. 

“That’s not until the end of March,” Ambrose pointed out, ducking his head at Zelda’s pointed look. 

“Do you think these events just suddenly materialize out of thin air?” she asked and Hilda shook her head at the three, letting them know they weren’t supposed to actually answer that. “There are supplies to order. Menus to plan. A schedule to create. An offering to decide upon. Entertainment. Far more decisions to make than you can fully comprehend.”

“I thought there was a committee that was organizing it?” Nick offered up and Sabrna nodded along with that. 

“A few. But they were head of two of them and now those need to be taken over,” Zelda replied, pursing her lips as the two groaned.

“Can’t someone already on them slip into that role?” Sabrina asked, leaning against Nick at the look she received. “This would be much easier, auntie, if you would just tell us which committees you expect us to take over and what you want out of them.”

“Agreed,” Nick grumbled before rising. “We should get going so we can start setting up.”

“Is there a witchling gathering tonight?” Hilda asked, watching as Sabrina and Ambrose rose as well.

“Yep!” Ambrose rubbed his hands together, ready to dole out some wisdom.

“We’ll finish this discussion tomorrow then,” Zelda told them before waving them to go. “Enjoy yourselves.”

“But perhaps not too much,” Hilda added as the three headed toward the front door, knowing her words were going to be lost on all of them. 

Zelda waited until the three were gone before looking over at her sister. “It can’t be a coincidence that it's those five spells in particular that he wants them to teach the others.”

“I didn’t even realize they already knew them,” Hilda murmured, setting her knitting needles down in her lap. She hadn’t learned the older variation of them until she was well into her first century. 

“Neither did I,” Zelda replied as she looked over at the books Sabrina had left scattered on the table. She knew that Edward had been teaching the two of them since they were children, that Ambrose had learned a number of his spells as well during his house arrest, but she’d always assumed that at least the younger two would have been shown some of his more basic concepts.

Not the ones used more readily in battle scenarios.

What were her brother and Nathaniel playing at?

* * *

“I can’t believe he left with her,” Sabrina grumbled as she sat down on one of the benches in the Scratch’s backyard. “ _Again_.” The others had all headed off, gathering finished for the evening, leaving her and Nick alone to clean up the candles and salt.

“They were heading to Dorian’s,” Nick reminded, shaking his head as Sabrina glowered at that. “With a whole group of people--”

“While she licked his ear!” Sabrina pointed out before shuddering at the image that had replayed in her head at that. 

“On the plus side, it does mean he’s not here bugging us about what we’re doing,” Nick countered as she sat down beside her. 

“That’s just a horrible silver lining.” Sabrina leaned against him, not finished sulking even if his fingers dancing along her arm were doing wonders for pulling her out of her temporary funk.

“Come on,” Nick urged, tugging her up. “We wanted to see what exactly has shifted for us, remember?”

He was right. That had been their plan, already waylaid once by Nick having to talk with Father Highmore. It was probably a good idea to try and figure out what they could before they accidentally caused another earthquake or something else to happen. He took hold of her hand as they headed over to the space leftover from the witchling gathering. They made sure the salt circle was still intact, repositioning the candles around to offer some more protection, hopeful it would keep whatever magic they attempted to do stuck inside the barrier, minimizing any damage they might cause. 

“What do you want to start with?” she asked as she sat down in the middle of the circle.

Nick sat beside her, not in front with their knees touching as they usually did. “I think we start out small and go from there?” 

“What are we considering small? Like the twirling changing spell? Lighting a candle?” she frowned as she leaned back, palms pressing into the ground behind her. “Because I’ve done those and not felt any different.”

“I didn’t feel any different when I let the quill take notes for me either,” Nick replied, brushing a hand through his hair. “Have you tried anything big today?” More than the usual day to day magic they used anyway.

“With magic?” Sabrina shook her head. “No.” There hadn’t been any reason to and after the intensity of the magic after he’d drawn that symbol on her Sabrina hadn’t wanted to risk it at school. “But I was thinking...you know how the Weird Sisters connect together to strengthen their magic?”

Nick nodded. The power of three. “What if what we did was something like that?” Sabrina continued. “Like their bond is through their love for one another, right? They may not be blood related but they’re sisters. So like...what if this is just a representation of our bond?”

Nick arched a brow, mulling over what she was saying. “I mean we draw symbols on one another all the time,” Sabrina picked up his hand and drew a pentagram and then a circle, followed by the symbol for air. “Nothing, right?”

“I do like your fingers on my skin and while it stirs up something, it’s not like what we experienced in the library,” Nick agreed, enjoying the blush on her features at his words. “And the triquetra has a significant meaning. Technically they all do, but the trinity knot equals love for me.”

“And our magic sunk into us after it combined when we were having sex,” Sabrina added, knowing that had to have some significance. “Kind of like it was binding us together.”

Nick’s brows knitted together as he worked through all of those pieces and Sabrina rested her head back against his shoulder, knowing it was better to let him think this through for a moment than continuing to talk. “I want to try something,” he said after a moment.

“What spell do you want to do?” Sabrina asked, gesturing around the circle. It was why they were there after all.

Nick shook his head, snapping his fingers and blowing out all of the candles. “Teleport somewhere. Anywhere in Greendale. Give me five minutes to find you.”

She arched a brow at that. “And if you can’t find me in five minutes?”

“Come back here,” Nick told her, but from his tone Sabrina had a feeling he thought that wouldn’t be an issue. 

“Now?” she asked as he rose, tugging her up to stand as well.

Nick nodded and Sabrina did as requested, murmuring a quick _lanuae magicae_ and arriving in the middle of the cafeteria at Baxter High. It was a bit eerie to be there after hours, only the emergency lights on as she sat down at their usual table. She glanced over at the clock on the wall, wanting to know when to head back.

A sliver of power rippled through her, leaving her shuddering and feeling like Nick’s fingers were on her palm before he was standing in front of her. “But how?” Sabrina stared at him. 

“One more time, okay?” he urged, rubbing at her arms before she disappeared, heading out to the banks of Sweetwater River. 

It wasn’t a part of it that they frequented really and she wondered if that was all the last experience had been. But pleasure rippled through her again, power intermingling with it as fingers that weren’t there ghosted over her hand before he was standing in front of her. 

“I’m going to teleport this time, alright,” Nick told her and Sabrina caught hand before he could do so. “Just draw the trinity knot, Sabrina. You’ll see.” He pressed his hand over top hers before teleporting away. 

She did as directed and gasped as the magic whirled within her, letting her know exactly where he was in seconds. It was like a thread connected them, tugging at her to go where he was and she teleported over, finding him standing outside of Cerberus Books. 

“I have a feeling this isn’t the only thing we can do,” Nick told her as he took hold of her hands again before teleporting them back to his family’s house. “Think we have time to try something a little more complicated?”

“It’s Friday night,” Sabrina reminded. “I doubt the aunties are expecting us back anytime soon.” She pressed up on her toes to kiss him, grinning against his mouth as his hand curled in her hair, deepening the kiss, and so easily stoking the fire that seemed to always burn between them.

Nick let out a groan before tugging her along. He was intent on heading inside of it, wanting to go to his mother’s office to look for a spell or two to try out there, but Amalia’s howl had the two of them turning and heading in that direction. She looked less than pleased when they found her in the garden, the hellhound growling at her side. Their focus was on the man that was pinned under the hound’s foot though, pleading for the creature to not kill it.

“I’m looking for Victoria Scratch!” the man cried out, his terror palpable. 

The two of them looked at one another, Nick flinching at his mother’s name and Sabrina reached over, taking hold of his hand. 

“Amalia?” Nick looked over at his familiar, waiting for her assessment on the situation and nodded as she growled low, letting him know the man had passed through the barrier around their land with ease. He wasn’t there to hurt anyone who lived at the manor. “Sabrina.”

She nodded. “Gilly, down,” she ordered, thankful that the hound did so before moving over to her, looking for praise at what he’d done. 

The man sputtered, blood seeping from his mouth as Nick headed over to him. It wasn’t the mark of the hellhound that had done the damage he was seeing on this man’s face though, eyes narrowing at the Anti-Papacy’s symbol that he saw burned into the man’s head. “Is she here?” he coughed, blood spattering against Nick’s shirt as Sabrina moved over to kneel beside him. 

“My mother’s dead,” Nick told the man, watching as the man closed his eyes at that, struggling to breathe. “Why are you here? Did the Anti-Papacy do this to you?”

“It’s starting,” the man sputtered out, clasping hold of Nick’s hand and pressing something into it.

“What’s starting?” Nick asked as the man’s body tensed up, spasming around them before he collapsed to the ground.

Sabrina reached over, checking for a pulse, murmuring a spell to try and heal what she could but it was useless. The man was dead. “Nick?” she asked, looking over and spotting that he was looking down at something in his hand.

He handed the paper over to her and her eyes widened as she realized it was a photograph. One that had their parents and several other people in it, including the man that lay dead before them. 

“I think we need to call your aunts,” Nick murmured as he reached over, closing the man’s eyes. “And Amalia, get Gilly out of here. Go for another walk in the woods together, okay girl?”

His familiar snorted at that before pushing at the hellhound to head off with her, only following once Sabrina nodded for the creature to do so. 

She closed her eyes and reached out to her aunts. _I need you at Nick's place_. They appeared seconds later, Zelda tightening the belt of her robe. "This better be an actual…" Zelda started, voice trailing off as they spotted the dead warlock.

Nick noted the recognition in their eyes as Hilda knelt down beside the body. “Alistair Crane,” Hilda murmured, pressing a hand to her mouth. “He was one of the best horticulturists I’ve ever known. I learned so much from him.”

Sabrina stepped over to her aunt, hugging her tightly. “He gave me this,” Nick started, handing the photo over to Zelda who was staring at the symbol burned into the dead warlock’s forehead. “He said he was looking for my mom.”

Her lips twisted at that, arms crossed before she took a breath. “He said ‘It’s starting’,” Nick continued, watching as Zelda closed her eyes at that before nodding.

“We’ll need to get him to the mortuary,” she noted before looking over at Nick. “He’s from the Church of the Deceit. One of those that your mother had been working with before her death. Do you know of anywhere that she kept record of where the covens were, Nicholas?”

Nick shook his head. “I don’t think she wrote that down.”

“Then we may need to use other means to see how the rest of his coven is fairing,” Zelda replied as she looked down at the body. “And I do not have high hopes considering the state he was in coming here.” 

She stepped away from the body, nodding for Nick to do so with her. “I take it that you and Ambrose can do what needs to be done so we can get answers?” 

“He’s at Dorian’s,” Nick informed her and she nodded.

“Go retrieve him. We’ll get the body back to the mortuary and I’ll make sure the ingredients you need for the spell are ready when you return,” Zelda told him and Nick nodded before glancing over at Sabrina.

“It’ll be better to do it with three,” Nick replied, knowing the older witch wasn’t going to like that answer. It was the truth though. Spells done with three always worked out better and considering whatever was happening with his and Sabrina’s magic, Nick had a feeling having her do the spell with them would only heighten its potency.

“I can do it, auntie,” Sabrina added from her spot, noting how Zelda’s lips had thinned at that, and the flash of worry that had been in her aunt’s gaze. 

“You don’t even know…” Zelda pursed her lips as Sabrina shifted at that, lips pressed together before scrunching her nose. “I take it this is something your cousin has gone over with you?”

“I’d rather not implicate anyone in teaching me necromancy,” Sabrina supplied, while Hilda snorted beside her.

Zelda sighed, making a mental note to berate her nephew later on. “Retrieve Ambrose, Nicholas. Sabrina will be with the body when the two of you are ready,” Zelda finally stated and Nick nodded, giving Sabrina a wink before teleporting away to do as asked.

“Let’s get Brother Crane home,” Zelda sighed before motioning toward the body. “Please prepare the coffee once we’re there, Sabrina. I think we’re in store for a rather long night.”

* * *

“Which spell do you want to do?” Ambrose asked, looking down at the body on the table. He swallowed at the brand seared into the dead warlock’s forehead, knowing precisely what that meant. It took a significant amount of effort for him to push down the terror that was wanting to take hold and grip onto him tightly.

“We’re not trying to bring him back to life,” Nick replied, considering their options. “We just need him around for a minute. Maybe two at tops.”

“Anything over that and we’re risking quite a bit,” Ambrose agreed with a nod, uncurling his arms from around himself.

“Let’s stick to a minute then,” Nick suggested, looking over at the other warlock. 

“You’ve got the list of questions that Aunt Zee wants asked?” Ambrose glanced over at his cousin who was standing at the end of the slab, holding Salem in her hands. 

Her familiar hissed at the dead body, clearly not liking the fact that they were going to be doing this. Necromancy was one of the more dangerous domains of magic. One that her father didn't exactly approve of but that Ambrose and Nick both specialized in. 

“So which spell?” she asked, looking between the two as she set Salem down.

“Are you sure you need to be here?” Ambrose asked as he headed over to her.

“It’ll be more accurate if we have three,” Nick reminded and Sabrina nudged her cousin in the arm.

“You’ve been teaching me this stuff since I was ten, Ambrose,” Sabrina offered up a small smile and Ambrose nodded. “We just usually did it on like frogs.”

“Bit different now,” Ambrose murmured before nodding. “I’m thinking the Distortion of Life.” He glanced back at Nick, waiting for the younger warlock to nod before looking back at Sabrina. “Remember it?”

Nick turned his attention back to the dead warlock, taking in the extent of his injuries as Ambrose reviewed the spell they would need to chant. The moonlight hadn’t revealed as much as the fluorescent lights of the mortuary did. He could sense the curses that had been unleashed on the man along with the cuts and blows that had been landed. 

“Let’s get this guy up,” Nick stated as he stepped back to stand with the other two. Power rippled through him at his words and all three of them stared wide eyed as the dead warlock sat up.

“How did you...” Ambrose quickly flipped the timer he’d been holding over. “Questions, cousin.”

“Who attacked you?” Sabrina started as the warlock looked between them.

“The Order of the Infernal. They came for the coven,” Brother Cane informed them, cracking his neck. Ambrose flinched at the name while Nick sucked in a breath. He’d seen the destruction that particular branch of the Anti Papacy could leave behind.

"Why did they come?" Nick asked after glancing at the paper Sabrina held.

"To destroy us all," Brother Crane replied. "Even the children." 

"They didn't round them up?" Ambrose looked over at the other two when the warlock shook his head. Indoctrination had usually been the plan for any under a quarter of a century, believing them still able to be molded into the Anti Papacy's ranks.

“Where is the coven located?” Sabrina continued, going through the list that Zelda had given her.

The warlock opened his mouth, speaking, but they couldn’t hear anything. He tried again, looking frantically over at the sandtimer that was quickly pouring out. 

“Ambrose, why can’t we hear him?” Nick asked, glancing over at the other warlock.

“Did the coven take a vow of silence for that particular subject?” Ambrose asked and they watched as the warlock nodded. “Excellent way to keep their location a secret but not so great for us right now.”

Nick sighed, frustrated. “He won’t be able to tell us the location.”

Sabrina frowned, spotting that the timer was nearly through before looking back at the warlock who struggled to get the words out, trying to break through his own vow. She squinted at the threads of magic she saw still swirling around him and knew it had to be connected to that vow. The rest of his magic would be gone once he drew his last breath. She raised a hand, pushing at the threads, trying to wrap her own magic around them.

“Cousin?” Ambrose started, not sure what she was doing as Sabrina quickly yanked her hand back.

Brother Cane gasped at that, pain lashing through him before he uttered some numbers, and then collapsed back down onto the table, his soul gone as the timer ran out. 

“I think those were the coordinates,” Sabrina murmured as Salem wrapped around her feet. She reached down and picked him up, lips pressing together as she looked over at Ambrose. 

Her cousin was gripping his shoulders tightly as he stared at the dead warlock before turning to look at the two of them. “ _How_ did you get him to rise? And how did _you_ get him to break his vow of silence?”

Sabrina glanced over at Nick and Ambrose shook his head, knowing the two had definitely been up to something. The two of them were going to be the death of him. 

“I’m pretty sure we combined our magic,” Nick replied and Sabrina nodded. 

Ambrose nodded. That wasn’t exactly surprising. They’d done it once before. 

“And connected ourselves together.” Nick looked over at Sabrina. He’d always felt when Sabrina was nearby. She had a power to her that rippled around her long before her Dark Baptism. But it was deeper now, like there was a continuous thread between the two of them. 

“Permanently,” Nick added and Ambrose took a step back, reeling from that information.

“Permanently?” he asked, looking between the two of them. For the love of Satan.

“Discussion for another time, Ambrose?” Nick suggested, nodding toward the stairs. “There might be survivors.”

“We will be finishing this later,” Ambrose told the two. But Nick was right. They needed to get the location to the aunties and then head there to see what they might find.

* * *

Salem pushed against Sabrina’s hand, urging her to pick up petting him again as Amalia settled at her feet. She was sitting on the couch, watching Nick pace back and forth across the Spellman living room as they waited for her aunts and cousin to return. 

“I can’t believe they didn’t let us go with them,” Nick muttered again, glancing over at the clock on the mantle. It had been nearly fifteen minutes and the two had decided if twenty passed then they were following after them. 

“Can you really not believe they didn’t?” Sabrina murmured from her spot, alternating stroking the two familiars’ heads. Because she wasn’t at all surprised that they had been ordered to stay behind. If there was a chance of any of the Order still being around they wouldn’t want the two of them in the fray. Fathers Blackwood and Highmore had gone with them as well as a few others from the covens. So at least it was more than the three of them. 

“No,” Nick dropped down onto one of the chairs, muscles tight as his frustration only grew. 

“Three more minutes,” Sabrina murmured, looking over at the clock again. “They can hold their own.” She had to believe that. 

Nick’s attention snapped over to her, taking in the way her hands shook as she stroked Amalia’s fur and Salem pressing his head into her stomach. He moved across the room and sat down beside her, quickly tugging her into a hug. “They’re some of the most formidable witches I know,” Nick assured her and Sabrina leaned into him, ignoring Salem’s irritated meow over being jostled.

The familiar moved off the couch, settling down beside Amalia as Sabrina shifted to get more comfortable against Nick. “They’ll be here any second now,” he continued, glancing over toward the clock. 

The hand shifted and he looked down at Sabrina, watching her nod as the two steeled themselves to teleport after the others.

It wasn’t needed though as her aunts, cousin, and the others who had gone with them all appeared back in the living room. There was blood on their outfits but none of them looked injured. Anger and an almost haunted look seemed to have settled over all of them before Zelda spotted the two on the couch.

“Go to bed,” Zelda told the two of them as she motioned for the others to head toward the kitchen.

“Auntie?” Sabrina started as Nick and her rose.

“Sabrina, for once in your life do as you’re told,” Zelda snapped, cutting the two of them a sharp look before she headed into the kitchen.

Hilda moved over to the two of them, giving her niece’s shoulder a squeeze. “Get some sleep, my loves. We’ll see you in the morning.”

Ambrose shook his head as Nick opened his mouth to ask something and the younger warlock nodded, holding back any questions before pulling on Sabrina to head upstairs, their familiars following after them. 

There were no words said as they changed clothes and curled up in her bed together, knowing this time things would not look better in the daylight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So things are definitely going to be picking up some from here on out with the fallout from this. Thanks so much for reading! Every comment, hit and kudo is love <3
> 
> Next chapter: The witchlings try to help. That may or may not go well.


	18. come little children

The fog rolled in around Sabrina again and she shook her head, hands pressing to her ears so she could try and ward off whatever words were going to be whispered in this dream. It was no use though, the dream forcing her hands down. She clenched them tightly at her side as the fog pushed her along the path, further into the darkness lit only by torchlight and Sabrina readied herself for what might come next, doubtful that she would like what she was about to see. 

Except it wasn’t anything horrible this time around.

It was just her mom sitting in the Scratch kitchen with Victoria Scratch by her side. She watched as her mother rubbed a hand along her belly bump, while Victoria handed off a cookie to the little boy sitting at the table with them, flipping through a book. It had to be Nick. She’d know that curly hair and intent gaze anywhere.

Sabrina sat down at the table, wanting to be closer to her mother, trying to take in everything that she was seeing. She watched as Diana glanced across the table at Nick, commenting on something the toddler was looking at and receiving a small nod of his head before he turned the page. 

“Tell me again about the dreams?” Victoria asked before sliding the cup of tea over to Diana.

“It's another variant of every other one,” Diana let out a sigh before she picked up the cup, trying to steady her shaking hands. “I’m in the woods. I’m running, but this time I’m holding her.”

Victoria nodded, reaching over to wipe crumbs from Nick’s mouth as Diana set the cup back down, hand moving back to her stomach. “They take her from me and I wake. The pain I felt then, Victoria,” Diana shook as she remembered. “It was awful. I’d never…”

“May I?” Victoria asked, nodding toward Diana’s belly and waited for her friend to nod before placing a hand on Diana’s stomach. Her brow creased in concentration, lips pulling into a deep frown as she closed her eyes. 

Sabrina watched, trying to figure out the spell that Victoria was saying, what it could possibly be used for, but she didn’t know anything about midwifery. It seemed like one she’d heard Hilda and Zelda use with the mortal mothers who would sometimes come to them with questions about their pregnancies. She’d never paid much attention when that happened, not particularly interested in that sort of magic just yet. 

“What is it? Is she alright?” Diana asked, clutching onto Victoria’s hand when she opened her eyes again.

Victoria nodded. “She’s a fighter. She’s alright.” Diana let out the breath she’d been holding at that. Sabrina didn’t like the way Victoria’s attention shifted from her mother’s stomach to her head though and watched as the other woman reached up, gently placing her hands against Diana’s temples. “But something isn’t right. Someone’s trying to interfere, to make it so you… so she doesn’t come to term.”

Diana gasped at that, clutching at her stomach and Sabrina reached over, trying to offer comfort but her hands slid through her mother, unable to do anything. Victoria was able to touch her mother though, helping her breathe through the panic attack she’d started having. 

“We’ll need to guard your dreams, my friend,” Victoria told her as she rose, moving to one of the side cupboards. She looked back at Diana, nodding for her to drink the tea. “That’s how they’re attacking you, working to poison your body.”

Diana dropped the cup at that and it shattered against the floor, causing Nick to look up, gasping at the sound. “Stay where you are, Nicholas,” his mother warned, shaking her head as he looked ready to move. 

“Sabrina?”

She blinked at the sound of her name, knowing it wasn’t being said by anyone that was in the current room with her.

“Who’s trying to hurt her?” Diana asked, clutching protectively at her stomach.

“I have my suspicions, but it’ll be fine. They won’t succeed, Diana, I promise you that,” Victoria assured her before setting a bottle down on the table in front of her. “Drink this before bed every night now, okay? It’ll stop them from sinking their talons in any further.”

“Sabrina?” 

Diana looked pained, gripping tightly to her friend’s arm. “She has to live, Victoria. No matter what else happens, she needs to live.”

“She will, my friend,” Victoria placed her hand over Diana’s, trying to reassure her. “And you will be there with her, cradling her to you, singing the songs to her that you now sing while waiting for her.”

“Sabrina?”

She fought against the threads trying to pull her out of the dream, reaching for her mother, wanting to stay in this small bubble of reality just a little longer. It was no use though, the gentle jostling of her shoulder pulling her from her sleep and having her gasping awake. Nick was looking down at her, concern etched in his features as he reached over, brushing at her hair. 

“You were trembling in your sleep,” he told her, fingers pausing at her cheek as he looked her over. 

“I saw my mom again,” she breathed out, closing her eyes as she tried to catch hold of all the threads of the dream, to remember everything she’d seen. Nick shifted the two of them so that he was laying back down, bringing her with him until she was tucked into his side. 

He stroked his fingers through her hair, hoping the movement was soothing as Sabrina tucked her hands under her chin, slowly breathing in and out. She still hadn’t opened her eyes but he didn’t want to push, letting her decide when she would continue. He wasn’t sure if this had been as unsettling as the last dream she’d had about her mother that Zelda had helped her handle, but he knew that he didn’t like how her lips had twisted while she slept, body trembling against him while she’d dreamed. 

“Your mom was in it.” Sabrina looked at him, taking a shaky breath as he brushed his thumb against her cheek. She leaned into the touch, letting it help ease the aching in her heart. “And so were you. You were so little and reading.” She grinned at the memory of him with the book. It was the same one he’d read to her when they were little.

“Not surprising,” Nick murmured, his chest constricting a little at the thought of his mother. 

“She was pregnant with me, my mom,” Sabrina continued, shifting against him so she could rest her head better on his chest, half draped across him. He ran his hand up and down her back, kissing her temple as she paused again. “She….she was talking about having these terrible dreams, Nick. Of someone taking her baby. I think they’re the same ones I’ve been having.” It lined up with what her mother had been telling Victoria.

She pushed up a little at that, needing to see his face. “Your mom thought someone was giving them to her. She didn’t say who, but they were meant to weaken her or me and make her…” Sabrina closed her eyes, shaking her head at the very thought of it. 

“She didn’t lose you,” Nick told her, cradling her head in his hands as they sat up. “You’re here and you’re safe.”

“But she’s not. What if...what if what they were doing weakened her too much to live?” It matched up with her dream about her mother and father and someone saying only one could live. Had whatever magic someone had done weakened her mother’s body to the point of no return? “I know they can’t cross the barriers around Greendale but can their magic?” 

After all they’d thought the Anti Papacy was the one sending the creatures after her at first and the ones behind the birds who’d killed themselves. 

“I think it's possible,” Nick told her, resting his forehead against hers as she took a shaky breath. 

“Are they why I’m having them now?” she breathed out again, gripping tightly onto his shoulders to help steady herself. 

“Maybe, or maybe it's a hold over somehow from your mother?” A warning of some kind. 

He pulled her close again, letting her rest her head on his shoulder as he settled back against the pillows. “Were they able to stop the dreams she was having?” Nick asked, feeling her nod at that.

“I think so. Your mom gave her something to take before bed each night.” She just didn’t have a clue what it might be.

Nick nodded at that, mentally going through the list of possibilities as he threaded his fingers through her hair. They heard her aunts downstairs, followed by some voices from others in the coven, the events of last night catching up with them again. Nick glanced over at the bedside clock. It wasn’t quite three. 

“How about we try dreaming together?” he suggested, knowing they’d only be told to go back to bed if they tried to go downstairs.

Sabrina nodded, closing her eyes as he murmured the spell needed for that, hopeful that the two of them could come up with something pleasant to experience for the next hour or two.

* * *

“You can handle breakfast on your own, yes?” Hilda asked as Sabrina and Nick headed down the stairs. The sun was only beginning to rise, threads of sunlight barely seeping in through the windows.

“Of course, auntie, but what--” Sabrina started, not liking that her aunt was layering up.

Hilda shook her head as she wrapped the scarf around her neck. “I have to go,” she told the girl, reaching over to brush back a stray strand of Sabrina’s hair.

“Where are you going?” Sabrina caught hold of her aunt’s hand, not wanting to let go of it as Nick stepped up beside her.

“Just to the desecrated church for a meeting,” Hilda tried to assure her, but that only brought about more worries.

“Shouldn’t we be there too then?” Nick reasoned, lips twisting when Hilda shook her head again.

“ _No_.” The word came out much harsher than she intended and Hilda let out a sigh before patting Sabrina’s hand. “You’re to stay here with Ambrose until we return.” She looked at her niece. “Promise me.”

Sabrina didn’t reply, staring down at their hands instead. Hilda tipped her chin up. “Sabrina.”

“I’ll stay with Ambrose,” she promised, knowing those words would bind her to her cousin for the foreseeable future. She just wasn’t going to promise to stay in the mortuary. 

It seemed enough for her aunt though who gave her hand another squeeze and then patted Nick’s shoulder before she headed out the door. “Maybe we can get some answers from your cousin?” Nick suggested, nodding toward the path that would lead them to the kitchen. There was a good chance he was already in it.

If anyone was going to fill them in on everything it definitely would be Ambrose. 

He was in the kitchen, silently eating his cereal with his little owl perched on his shoulder. He looked up as they entered, nodding toward the cereal box and bowls that he’d already taken out for them. 

“Is Aunt Zelda at the church too?” Sabrina asked as she sat down, not bothering with breakfast just yet.

Her cousin nodded. “They’re trying to figure out what to do next. Contact your fathers and let them know of the situation.” 

“What did you find?” Nick asked as he poured some cereal into the two bowls. He had a good idea what the answer would be, any inkling of hope that he’d had for the other coven had been dashed when the others had returned without anyone extra.

Ambrose gripped his spoon a little tighter for a second and the owl on his shoulder cooed. Sabrina didn’t like the look she saw in his gaze, reminding her of their conversation about how familiar’s death and the horrors that the Anti Papacy could dole out. 

“Not a single soul alive,” Ambrose told them as he set his bowl down, appetite gone.

“Could anyone else have escaped?” Sabrina asked as Nick set down the box, not bothering to pour milk for them.

Ambrose shook his head. “It doesn’t look like it from what they know of that coven’s numbers.”

“How were they even found?” Nick started. There was a vow of silence around their location and he wasn’t exactly sure how Sabrina had managed to undo it but he doubted that the Anti Papacy had magic that could do that. This seemed more like how she could create fire and ice without a spell. “Why were they targeted?”

Ambrose let out a heavy sigh as he leaned forward, forearms pressing against the table. “Both questions they’re attempting to determine.”

“What’s going to happen to their bodies?” Sabrina continued, moving over a chair so she was closer to her cousin. She reached over, placing her hand on his arm. He smiled softly at her, grateful for the touch. “Did they get left there?”

“For now, but they’re discussing what to do with all of the…” Ambrose swallowed. Burning them would be the most efficient course of action but no one liked burning a witch. “They’re considering using necromancy to try and uncover some answers. But they’re waiting for your fathers input on that.” 

“Are you okay?” Sabrina murmured, not caring about any of the rest of it as she took in her cousin’s slight trembling.

Ambrose nodded, placing his hand over top hers and giving it a squeeze. She didn’t want to ask her next question, but she had to get it out. “Do you think...they’ll come here next?”

He shook his head at that, body trembling harder and nearly spilling the cereal box as he pushed back. “No. They can’t get across our borders because of the One Hundred Years clause.” Ambrose wasn’t sure if he was saying that for their comfort or his own.

“Did the Coven of Deceit’s clause run out?” Nick murmured, wracking his brain for anything he could remember about the group. Brother Cane had known his mother. Had he visited that coven with her?

“I think that’s a possibility that they’re looking into,” Ambrose replied, turning his focus to Nick. “Do you know of anywhere that your mother might have kept notes on that, Nick?”

“If it's not in her journals then no.” Nick shook his head letting out a sigh. Except. “She kept a small book on her. One that was always in a pocket.” Where had it gone? He couldn’t recall seeing it anywhere in her office. “I don’t know what happened to it.”

“Might be good to let Aunt Zee know about that at dinner so they can try and locate it,” Ambrose considered before nodding. He needed a change of topic and looked between them, remembering what had happened in the basement last night. “But neither auntie is here right now, let’s circle back to how the two of you combined your magic and might have permanently tied yourself to one another.”

“We can find one another without a spell,” Nick started and Ambrose leaned back at that, waving for one of them to expand.

“I mean, there’s drawing the triquetra to really hone in,” Sabrina added and Nick nodded at that. Ambrose arched a brow at the symbol of choice, making note of it. He was pretty sure he knew the significance of it but it wouldn’t hurt to look it up again later. “But I just kind of know where he is and he knows where I am.” 

“I didn’t need a spell to raise the dead,” Nick continued, before looking at Sabrina. “Like you don’t need one to call on the elements.”

“It’s only been fire and ice,” Sabrina protested. That wasn’t all of the elements. 

Nick snorted, unsurprised that she was trying to downplay what she’d done. “And undoing that unbreakable vow?”

Sabrina looked away, remembering the incident. “I could see the threads of it wrapped around him.”

“You could see them?” Ambrose asked, eyes widening a bit at that. “Not just feel something there?” He knew sometimes warlocks or witches could feel powerful magic near them but seeing it was not something he’d come across in any of his readings.

“Like a golden thread,” Sabrina replied, looking over at her cousin. “I just grabbed hold of them, yanked, and then they were gone.”

“Do you see any other magical threads?” Ambrose asked, tapping his fingers along the table as Nick pushed a cereal bowl toward Sabrina.

“Like right now?” she asked, pouring herself some milk. “Cause no. But no one’s doing magic.”

He arched a brow at that. “Do you tend to see them when others are?” 

Sabrina considered that. “Not all of the time. Only if it's big. Like stirring a spoon in a cup or lighting a candle doesn’t really show up. I don’t always see it at school. But I don’t know if I have to be looking for it or not?”

“You were looking for threads of magic last night?” Nick asked, just as surprised as Ambrose about this.

“You guys were saying that there was a vow of silence,” Sabrina told them, looking between the two. “I figured it had to be entwined around the person if it was supposed to be something permanent?”

Ambrose rubbed his fingers over his mouth, trying not to reel from how matter of fact she was about that, wondering how many other times she’d been able to see the threads of magic. He opened his mouth to ask another question when Sabrina and Nick’s phones started to buzz. Desdemona chirped on his shoulder, disappearing for a moment before reappearing on the table with his own cell between her small talons. 

“Seems like the witchlings are up,” Nick commented as he scrolled through the incoming texts. “And their parents are also at the church.”

“We should probably tell them to all come over. It’ll be easier to fill them in all at once instead of doing this fifteen different times,” Sabrina murmured and Nick nodded. 

“Tell them to meet here in an hour,” Nick replied and Ambrose glanced over at the stove. 

“I’ll get started on pancakes.” They did not have enough cereal to feed that small army and he had a feeling snacks were going to be needed.

* * *

The Spellman living room was cramped, every available couch or chair taken up by one of the witchlings while others had found space to sit on the floor. A somber silence had filled the room after Nick had explained what had happened the night before and what their parents were currently doing at the desecrated church. 

“Are they going to come here now?” Paige asked, voicing the worry that was whirling through all of them. Lavina squeezed her hand, trying to offer some comfort. 

Ambrose shook his head. “No. The One Hundred Year clause means that they can’t step foot on Greendale’s soil.”

“But that just means they’ll be here in eighty years, doesn’t it?” Melvin piped up, causing murmurs to run through the group.

“I don’t really want to speculate on the future,” Nick started, trying to get some control back over the conversation. 

“Why are they even bothering to discuss this?” Prudence asked from where she leaned against the fireplace, her sisters sitting at her feet. “They should be performing necromancy on every single one of the bodies there to determine what happened so that we have answers.”

“There’s over a hundred of them,” Ambrose pointed out. “Performing necromancy on a group that large would take a significant amount of time to question each individual and leave us open to attack. Because I don’t think we have the means to store that many bodies here in Greendale.”

“They could do a preservation spell that lasts for a few hours, make their way through the group, and then send the bodies back,” she suggested and he nodded at that.

“And what? Leave them there? No burial for any of them?” Celeste asked, looking around at the group. The idea of leaving witches to rot and decay on the land, possibly picked over by animals or mortals that stumbled across the scene seemed horrendous.

“Something that could be done later on after we know the area is secure,” Prudence replied as she looked over at the girl. 

“Why do we need to bury them?” Wade muttered, not liking the risk that seemed to come with doing so. “They’re not part of our covens.”

“Wouldn’t you want someone to bury you?” Agatha snapped, and he had to look away from her piercing gaze.

“Who do we even have that specializes in necromancy?” Gerald asked, trying to get the conversation back to where it needed to be. He nodded toward Ambrose and Nick. “Aside from the two of you.”

“Brother Pierce and Sister Guelimja,” Nick replied and there was a collective groan from the group.

“That’ll take forever to get through everyone,” Gerald grumbled, having little faith in either of those two adults' abilities. 

“And who knows what curses were thrown at them or other unbreakable vows were used by the coven,” Nick added before sighing.

“Except...we just need someone to perform the spell to bring the bodies temporarily back, right?” Sabrina reasoned as she looked around at the group. There were seventeen of them. Eighteen if they included Ambrose. They could probably pull in a few more from her cousin’s generation...maybe Roz and the others could help too. “Those asking questions of the dead don’t actually need to perform the spell.”

Ambrose looked over at her, shaking his head as she turned her attention to him. “We’re not to leave this house. You promised, remember?” And that promise was binding. He knew Hilda would have made sure of it.

“I just promised I’d stay with you,” Sabrina pointed out and he sighed at that, shaking his head again. “The longer it takes anyone to talk to them the harder it is to bring them back, right?” 

“Sabrina,” Ambrose started but she was waving around at the others. 

“If we each talk to five people we can get it done in just a couple of minutes. It’d be better if we had a few more with us to help,” she tried to reason before looking over at Nick. “And I bet you can raise them all at once.” 

“Probably,” Nick agreed, before holding up a hand. “Still too much of a risk of us getting attacked over there though.” He wouldn’t put it past the Anti Papacy to be waiting around for others to return. Though...the others had made it back last night without issue.

“So we teleport them all here,” Prudence butted in, stepping over to the others. “That only requires a few of us to head where they are. It shouldn’t take more than a minute. We get them here and then we can have a nice, little chat.”

“Shouldn’t we let the elders do this?” Elspeth suggested as she looked around at the others, a few of them nodding in agreement with her. 

Prudence sighed at that, unsurprised by the worry and lack of initiative that ran rampant through the room as she moved to stand beside Sabrina. “We’re as much a part of this coven as they are. We should have as much a voice as them. Did we not have our own circle during Yule this year?” 

There was some accepted grumbling at that. “Where would we bring the bodies?” Gerald asked, trying to get a grip on the practicalities of the situation. “We need a piece of land large enough to hold them all.”

“The football field at the high school could work?” Wade suggested, looking over at Nick who had to nod at that. It should hold over one hundred bodies. The temperature outside might work in their favor as well. 

“We are not doing this,” Ambrose protested as the others were starting to rise. He looked over at Nick, hopeful to see the younger warlock backing him up with that. 

“We’re going to need a list of questions we want everyone asking,” Nick murmured as he looked over at Sabrina and Ambrose looked up at the ceiling. “If I take Gerald, Wade and the Sisters we should be able to get everyone to the field in five minutes.”

Sabrina nodded. “We can prepare the field while you guys are doing that.”

“We. Are. Not. Doing. This.” Ambrose tried again, enunciating each word as he looked between the two of them. Reckless was one thing but this was a whole new level. 

Screams erupted outside of the house, interrupting whatever reply the two might have given, causing everyone to head toward the windows to see what was happening. Witches and warlocks were teleporting onto the Spellman’s grounds, bloodied and falling to the ground as they tried to escape whatever had been attacking them. They weren’t being repelled from the lawn, something that would have happened if they meant anyone inside of the house harm. Nick headed for the door, Ambrose, Sabrina and a few of the others on his heels, protective magic at the ready as he opened it. 

“Mother Maleficum?” It might have been over half a decade since he’d last seen her but the older High Priestess looked the same. 

“Nicholas, thank Lilith,” the older woman breathed out, half carrying a much younger witch up the steps. Ambrose moved to help her, passing the injured one back to another behind them. 

“We need to get back to the others. There are too many who can’t teleport because of the state they’re in,” the High Priestess explained as she ushered those who’d made it onto the property to head into the mortuary. 

There were so many questions to ask but none of those mattered in that moment, not if there was a chance to save others. “Cyrus, Aeneas and Ginger, help with the injured,” Nick ordered, knowing those three had shown the best promise at healing magic.

“Elspeth and Lavina get to the church and let the others know what’s happening here,” Ambrose looked back at the two, watching them teleport away. 

“The rest of us can help teleport whoever else we can,” Nick continued, looking back at the High Priestess. 

“Do not hesitate to kill,” Mother Maleficum stated as she looked around at them. “The Order will not have any such qualms with killing you.”

“Where will the coven be?” Ambrose asked, trying to figure out the best plan for helping those who’d been left behind. He had no idea what this coven’s setup was like.

“They’ll have headed to the desecrated church for sanctuary,” she informed them. It should have the best protections in place and hopefully allow for some barrier against the Order.

“We’re not going to be able to hold that many here,” Sabrina reasoned, looking over at the others. “Does everyone know where the old academy is?” There was a quick nod of acknowledgement. “Bring anyone you can manage to get hold of to that building.”

“Grab and teleport,” Nick told them. They could sort out injuries once everyone was accounted for. “And remember, teleportation at this great a distance means you’re only going to be able to do this two times tops before you’re too weakened. So once you get a group out, help get their injuries taken care of.”

“Do not try for a second round,” Ambrose warned, looking around at the group. 

He grasped hold of Sabrina’s hand, letting her know they were sticking together as Mother Maleficum teleported the group away from the safety of the mortuary and Greendale and to her coven’s church.

It was chaos inside and out of it, those who were too weakened to perform any magic hiding inside of it, huddled in the pews together. The ones outside were trying to hold off the advancing Order and also get the rest of the coven that was making their way to the church inside of its protective barrier. 

“They are here to help,” Mother Maleficum told the group who looked to her, trembling with fear. Several of the witchlings stepped forward, taking hold of hands and teleporting the groups at the pews to the safety of Greendale’s academy. 

“Don’t forget,” Ambrose started, looking over at Sabrina even as he held tightly to her hand. “That promise you made means we have to stick together.”

“I know.” She nodded. They would need to teleport together in order to leave. 

“How many more are missing?” Nick asked, unleashing magic out the door as those who’d been guarding the outside started to pour in. He couldn’t see well through the smoke that was steadily rising, flames whipping up around the barrier.

“Far too many,” the older witch replied, her voice breaking. She knew sacrifices would need to be made to save the majority. They would not be able to save any who hadn’t made it to the church. There would be no coming back a second time. 

Pain reverberated through all of them, causing everyone to fall to their knees as they felt the protective magic that had surrounded the desecrated church snap and disappear. The doors slammed shut, locking with magic as a group of warlocks appeared at the front of the room. Magic rippled through the rest of them, paralyzing everyone inside of the church.

They were saying something about treason, accusations that made little sense to her, but Sabrina ignored that and the rising panic that tasted acidic in the back of her throat. A witch was set on fire at the front of the room, her screams reverberating off the walls as the others could only look on in horror, unable to lift a finger to do anything.

Sabrina focused on the threads of magic she could see binding all of them together, keeping them locked in place and unable to defend themselves. She couldn’t use her hands or her mouth, but she hadn’t needed to do either to use magic before. Fire and ice had come to her without so much as a whisper. 

She pulled at that swell of magic from deep within her and allowed it to flow outward. She felt it tug at Nick’s magic as well, pulling out that bright light that seemed to connect the two of them together, before it slammed against the threads of magic, snapping each of them in half and allowing everyone to move. Nick lashed out at the group of warlocks, other witchlings joining as someone tried to help the witch who was still being burned alive. 

Wade was struck by a spell from the other warlocks, slamming back into the ground and Nick headed toward him, trying to undo the curse he could see beginning to make its way through his friend’s body. He sputtered up black goo, eyes wide with terror as he clutched at Nick’s hand. Nick closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on the counter spell, to wash away the death that was curling around his friend, rotting him from the inside out. 

There was a loud roar outside of the building as something slammed into the front door, shaking the walls and sending everyone teetering on their feet before the door was splintered in half. Gilly stood in the doorway, engulfed in hellfire as he searched the room for Sabrina.

She stared at him wide-eyed before he let out another roar and leaped over the pews, heading toward the warlocks at the front. Two flashes of black followed him, attacking the members of the Order as those who could started fleeing the church. 

Ambrose and Sabrina headed to Nick, helping him move Wade who was barely hanging on, getting him out of the desecrated church that was catching on fire. “Let me try,” Sabrina murmured as they set the warlock down on the ground. She placed her hands on him, staring at the black lines that were forming along his skin and pushed at them, trying to erase the darkness that was filling him. 

The sound of others teleporting into the area had the others turning, ready to defend themselves until they saw that it was members of their coven. “Get who you can and leave,” Father Highmore ordered before teleporting away with the closest group. 

Wade coughed again, the lines receding as Sabrina pulled at the curse. “We are going to have a very long talk about what it is exactly that you can do later, cousin,” Ambrose told her as he watched her draw the black goo out of the warlock until it was a swirling mass of darkness hovering over him. 

“Nick, I think I need your help now,” Sabrina murmured, reaching for his hand. A blinding light burst forth through the two of them, causing the four to shield their eyes, but when it receded and they looked back, the goo was gone. 

“Get him to the academy,” Nick told her, giving her hand a squeeze as he nodded toward Wade. 

“What are you going to do?” Sabrina shook her head, not wanting to leave him. 

“I’ll be right behind you guys,” he told her but Sabrina shook her head, not believing that for a second. 

Ambrose took hold of her hand and Wade’s though, teleporting the three away before she could protest. 

“Ambrose!” She made to teleport again but her cousin tightened his grip on her hand. 

“You know you can’t,” he told her. It was too risky to do it again. “And we need to get this one to the infirmary.” 

Sabrina looked over at Wade who was leaning against her cousin, looking too weak for her liking. “Besides, I don’t think your hellhound is going to let any of the Order live,” Ambrose continued, narrowing his eyes at her. “That was the hellhound you were talking about, right?”

“I did try telling you guys about it,” she muttered, helping him get Wade up the stairs of the academy before they followed the directions of those inside for where to bring him. 

Hilda was at their side as soon as she spotted them, hugging the two of them tightly. “Oh praise Satan,” she murmured as she helped them settle Wade down onto a chair. “When you weren’t at the mortuary…”

“We stayed together,” Ambrose assured her.

“Just like I promised,” Sabrina continued, earning a sharp look from her aunt before she had to head off to help with others. 

“You didn’t need a spell, cousin,” Ambrose stated as the two of them headed back toward the front. 

“I don’t seem to, not always anyways,” she murmured as they stared out the academy windows, watching the others arrive. She could feel that Nick was out there, that he was alright, but each passing minute had her heart speeding up, worry sinking deep into her bones. 

“And that doesn’t seem odd to you?” Ambrose asked and Sabrina shrugged.

“I’m half mortal.” As if that was enough of an explanation. 

“Sabrina,” he started again but she shook her head.

“I don’t know, Ambrose.” It was one of those things she tried not to look at too closely, scared of what it meant. “Where is he?”

Ambrose sighed at that before pulling her over. “He’s coming.” Knowing Nick he was just helping to make sure every single one of the witchlings was safe before heading back. 

As if on cue he appeared on the lawn with Mother Maleficum and a few others. Gilly arrived a second later, the two shadows that had been whirling around him shifting back into Amalia and Salem. Sabrina didn’t hesitate to head outside, running straight toward them, Ambrose on her heels.

“That should be everyone,” Nick told the two as he pulled her in, burying his face into her shoulder. She hugged him tightly, never wanting to let go as Ambrose joined in, needing to hold onto the two of them. 

“Took you long enough, Scratch,” he muttered as they finally pulled back slightly.

“You know me. Always have to make an entrance,” Nick countered and Sabrina snorted at that, before she felt the hellhound and Salem butting their heads into her side, vying for attention.

Amalia shook her head at the two of them as Sabrina knelt down, giving them both a head rub. “You both are such good boys,” she told the two as Nick reached over, running his hands through Amalia’s fur. 

“I swear, the three of you delight in raising my blood pressure,” they heard Zelda start from behind them and Ambrose swallowed, turning to look at his aunt. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her look this mad before. This even beat out when she’d learned how he’d been part of the plan to blow up the Vatican and refused to reveal anyone else’s identity. 

“Your father’s office,” Zelda told them, motioning for Nick, Ambrose and Sabrina to follow her. “ _Now_."

It probably wasn’t the time to ask which of their fathers she meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Yes. We're definitely in the middle of it now. Witch wars. Got to love them.
> 
> Next chapter, Zelda deals with her wayward three, there's some more necromancy, and we learn a little more about what's happening outside of Greendale.


	19. glory and gore

Zelda paced back and forth behind her brother’s desk while Father Highmore stood off to the side, pouring himself a drink. Sabrina, Ambrose and Nick sat on the chairs, none of them willing to speak until spoken to. All three were well aware that doing so would only wind Zelda up even more and this was one of those situations where they didn’t want that happening.

“ _What_ made you think that leaving Greendale was a good idea?” her aunt finally settled on, looking back at the three of them. 

“I leave Greendale every summer,” Nick pointed out, instantly regretting his comment as her gaze cut to him.

“We stuck together,” Ambrose started, motioning between him and Sabrina. Just like had been promised. That didn’t seem to be the correct answer either if her pinched brow was any indication.

“And we sent two to go and get the rest of you,” Sabrina reasoned as she looked over at the other two before glancing back at her aunt. “We just didn’t want to delay helping. More could have died.”

“ _You_ could have died,” Zelda snapped, her voice rising before she took a breath, trying to center herself.

“We didn’t,” Sabrina pointed out, instantly sinking into her chair as Zelda focused in on her.

“You were lucky,” her aunt continued as she sat down on her brother’s chair.

“We were efficient,” Nick tried, but Zelda held up a hand, cutting him off.

“You were reckless,” she replied before fixing her gaze on her nephew. “And _you_. I expect this of the two of them, but you are over a century older than the two of them. A modicum of responsibility would be nice to see from you, Ambrose.”

“You can’t blame Ambrose, auntie,” Sabrina shook her head, motioning toward her cousin. “He had to come because I went.”

“Oh, really?” Zelda looked between the two of them, arching her brows at Ambrose. “He couldn’t have kept you from going? With all of the spells he knows, he couldn’t have managed one that would keep a sixteen year old witch from recklessly heading into dangers beyond her comprehension?”

Ambrose opened his mouth to reply to that but Sabrina was already answering, “He wouldn’t take away my free will like that.”

He motioned toward his cousin then, nodding along to that even as he winced at their aunt’s sharp look. “We did what we had to, Sister Spellman,” Nick butted in, head held high as she turned her attention back to him, not cowering under her gaze. “What all of you would have done if Mother Maleficum had landed at the desecrated church instead of the mortuary.”

“Sister Spellman,” Father Highmore started before Zelda could reply to him. “As much as I understand your desire to continue to berate the three of them for their recklessness, there are questions we need to know the answer to.”

“By all means, Father Highmore,” Zelda waved at the warlock to proceed, fixing the three with a look to let them know they would be finishing this discussion later. 

He nodded at her before focusing on Nick. “Why was everyone gathered at the mortuary?” 

Nick shrugged. As formidable as Father Highmore could be, he paled in comparison to Zelda Spellman’s sharp looks. “The others wanted answers. Instead of us texting everyone back individually it seemed like meeting up as a group was a better idea.”

“Who chose the academy as the center point to return to?” the older warlock continued and Nick frowned at that, glancing over at the other two.

He wasn’t sure why that was important. “One of us. I don’t remember which.”

The other two nodded, but neither could quite recall who had suggested the academy. 

“You’re certain it was one of you three though?” Father Highmore looked between them, sighing a bit as they all nodded before glancing at Zelda. She nodded as well, not sensing any deception from the three. “Were any of you recognized by Mother Maleficum?”

“I was,” Nick informed him as he leaned forward in his seat, elbows pressing into his thighs. “I recognized her as well. My mother and I visited the Church of Obscura a lot before she…”

Sabrina reached over then, placing a hand on his thigh and Nick glanced over at her, reciprocating her soft smile. “She wasn’t seeking out your mother though?” Father Highmore questioned and Nick looked back at the older warlock.

He shook his head. “No. She didn’t ask for her like the other one did.”

“She was allowed on our property and into the mortuary,” Sabrina added and Ambrose nodded at that. 

“She couldn’t have done that if she meant any of us harm,” Ambrose pointed out, and Zelda nodded in confirmation at that. 

“It would make sense for her to head to the mortuary in search of Edward for help,” Father Highmore mused before sighing. “I’d say we’re lucky she didn’t try the Scratch place first or I doubt anyone but the first batch she brought with her would have made it out alive.” Zelda nodded in agreement with that before the two turned back to the younger set. “While your help certainly saved many lives, the risk to yourselves and the other witchlings was far too great. I do hope you start to see that.”

None of them replied and Zelda sucked in through her teeth at the stubborn set of Sabrina and Nick’s expressions. At least Ambrose looked a bit contrite. 

“Now, can someone explain the hellhound?” Zelda asked, palms pressing against the desk as she rose, giving the three of them a hard look, before focusing in on Sabrina. It wasn’t lost on her that the creature had sought out her niece when it had shown up outside of the Academy with Amalia and Salem in tow.

Sabrina swallowed at that, trying to come up with a lie, but gave up on that option when her aunt’s gaze narrowed. “He’s mine.”

“Y--yours?” Father Highmore asked, glancing over at Zelda. At least she seemed as confused by that statement as he did.

“Gilly,” Sabrina continued, focusing on her aunt. “The one I had when I was little.”

“Gilly was an imaginary friend, Sabrina,” Zelda reminded before frowning as she recalled the conversation Edward and the girl had at breakfast before he’d left.

“No, auntie.” Sabrina shook her head before scowling. “He was real. Daddy made him go away because he didn’t want me to have him.”

“Why would your father not want you to have him?” A hellhound could be a powerful ally if utilized correctly. As was seen earlier that day.

“He didn’t want me to have a gift from the Dark Lord,” Sabrina muttered, crossing her arms.

Zelda’s eyes widened at that, breath hitching as well. “The hellhound is a gift from the Dark Lord?” Highmore asked, setting down his glass.

Even Ambrose’s eyes had widened in confusion.

“Yeah?” She looked over at Nick, seeing that he’d noticed the same looks from the others as well.

“Why would the Dark Lord give you a gift?” Zelda asked, trying to understand exactly what had happened.

“Because he gives all the High Priest’s kids gifts?” Sabrina asked, not quite sure about that anymore.

“That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” Highmore replied, brushing at his forehead.

She looked back at Nick and he reached over, taking hold of her hand. “That’s what my mom told me after I received mine,” Nick started, unsurprised by that point at the similar confusion that settled on all of their faces as they looked at him.

“You also got a gift from the Dark Lord?” Ambrose asked, leaning forward slightly. 

“Infernal texts from Hell,” Nick replied, noting Ambrose’s intrigue at that before looking back at the other two. “He doesn’t usually give gifts?”

“Not to my knowledge,” Highmore stated and Zelda nodded at that as well.

Sabrina squeezed Nick’s hand and he looked over at her, spotting her frown and knew she was thinking similarly to him. Another lie that they’d been told. How many had there been over the years and _why_?

“And now it’s what? Hanging around Greendale?” Zelda inquired, wanting to know precisely what was happening with it.

“It’s staying on my family’s grounds,” Nick told her, watching as Zelda sighed at that. “Amalia is watching him and he’s not making any trouble.”

“There haven't been any unusual deaths around town?" Father Highmore glanced over at Zelda and Ambrose, wanting to be sure of that. “No bodies found on winding paths?”

“Nothing of the sort,” Ambrose replied. “First death we’ve had in the last two weeks was Brother Cane’s.”

“What are your plans for the hound?” Zelda asked, looking back at Sabrina.

She shrugged. “I don’t have any.” Was she supposed to? “I was kind of just figuring out how to get daddy to acknowledge that he does exist.”

Zelda pressed her lips together at that. She was also curious as to why her brother was trying to deny the creature’s existence when it obviously seemed bonded to the girl. Another secret he hadn’t bothered to share with her. 

There was a knock at the door followed by Father Blackwood entering. Nick noted the sudden change in Zelda and Father Highmore’s stances, the quick looks they cut to the three of them to indicate they were tabling any further discussion with Blackwood in the room. Nick looked over at Sabrina, catching her gaze and making sure she’d noticed the same thing. From the way she pursed her lips and nodded at him, he had a feeling that she had. Rather curious that they didn’t seem to want to fill the other warlock in on everything.

“Are we ready to discuss what we're going to do now with the others?” he asked, looking pointedly at Zelda and Highmore. 

“What do you mean what we’re going to do?” Nick asked, not liking the grave look that passed between the three older ones.

“I’m sure Hilda and the others could use some help with those injured,” Zelda replied, motioning toward the door. “And see that the hound is taken care of as well.”

None of them budged from their seats, Sabrina crossing her arms as she stared at her aunt. “We’re going to help them, right? Offer them sanctuary?”

“That is up for debate,” Blackwood stated as he closed the door behind him, taking up a spot beside the desk and waved off Sabrina’s incredulous look. “We do not know why the Anti Papacy has declared them to be heretical.”

“They are one of those that Victoria Scratch vouched for during her travels,” Father Highmore pointed out, looking to Zelda and Nick for confirmation on that.

“Much can change in five years,” Blackwood continued, stopping in front of the desk. “We do not know that they are still adhering to a belief system that lines up with ours.”

“We have no reason to believe that they are not,” Highmore countered.

“It’s not as though the Anti Papacy plays fair in its rulings,” Nick muttered, unable to believe this was even up for debate. “They could have ruled the way they have because the land that coven is on is one that they want.”

Zelda nodded at that. He had a point. She knew the Anti Papacy wouldn’t have approved of a High Priestess like this particular coven had and if the Obscura’s clause had finally run out, they would have wanted to squash the coven before their accomplishments could get out to the rest of the world.

“I am not certain we should offer anything without Edward or Nathaniel’s authorization,” Blackwood stated, and Sabrina pressed her lips together. She dug her nails into her palm, knowing that speaking out against him right at that moment wasn’t going to do any good. 

“Can you not reach them, Sister Spellman?” Highmore asked, frowning when Zelda shook her head.

“I’ve tried but it usually takes them a few days to respond to anything when they’re away and we do not have that kind of time.” Zelda sighed, looking around at the others. “They are here. Injured, hungry, battleworn. What we need to do now is figure out how we’re distributing them among our members so that we can have time to determine anything beyond that.”

Blackwood shook his head, holding up a hand, not quite ready to back down from his opposition. “This could send the Anti Papacy our way. There is no reason to give ourselves that added headache.”

“Added headache?” Nick snapped, hands balling into fists as he stared at the older warlock. “Did you not see what they did to this coven, Father Blackwood? What they did to Brother Crane's?” He still had the blood of ones they hadn’t been able to save on his clothing, as did everyone but Blackwood it seemed. There didn’t appear to be an iota of blood on the warlock’s clothing.

Blackwood pursed his lips. “There’s no need to get emotional, Nicholas.”

“They killed them,” Nick bit out, reeling back the magic he wanted to lash out with at the man. “They were burning them alive. Acting as if they were the False God’s witch hunters.” He rose, mouth twisting in disgust. “We’re not turning this coven away.”

Blackwood shook his head. “You do not have the authority to--”

“Don’t I?” Nick stared hard at the man. “Because I think I have a say on this and so does Sabrina.” He glanced over at the other warlock. “Don’t we Father Highmore?” 

“Yes, you do,” Father Highmore nodded, ignoring the look Blackwood tried to spear him with. “You know they do, Faustus. They each have since they turned sixteen.”

“They’re children,” Blackwood’s lips twisted as he gestured toward the two. "Per our charter they're supposed to begin to take part in coven matters, not have any distinct authority until they're half a century."

"Unless their fathers are not present," Highmore reminded and Sabrina glanced over at Nick. This was the first she was hearing about it and Nick had never mentioned it before. "Then they act in their authority with us as an equal vote. And it appears to be three against one for this matter, Faustus."

Blackwood opened his mouth to reply to that as Zelda rose.

“Enough,” she stated, looking around at everyone. “We will continue to try and contact Edward and Nathaniel. For now, we work to help the Obscura coven heal and determine how to house them until a decision is made.” 

“Agreed,” Father Highmore nodded, tapping his fingers against the desk. “It is not a coincidence that two covens we have been partnered with for centuries now have been culled by the Anti Papacy. We need to focus on our borders and our families as well. Make sure our boundaries are in place and all wards are up.” He turned his attention back to Sabrina and Nick. “Father Blackwood and I can work on that if you’ll work on handling the Obscura matter with Sister Spellman.”

The two of them nodded, finally rising and Ambrose followed with them. “I’ll continue to work on making contact with my brother and Nathaniel as well,” Zelda replied and Father Highmore nodded again. “It seems we all have our tasks in place.” 

“What about the other coven’s bodies?” Ambrose asked. He didn’t particularly want to add one more task to their pile but best to make a decision about it now than have it pop up again later. 

“I think we’ll need to put off a burial for them until we can efficiently secure the area. After this second attack I'm even more convinced they'll have a group waiting for others at the Deciet's grounds now,” Father Highmore told him and Ambrose nodded at that. “Are we all satisfied with our tasks for the next few days?”

There was a collective nod before Zelda rounded the desk, motioning for the younger three to leave with her. “I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from my brother,” she informed Blackwood and Highmore, closing the door behind her once the others were in the hall. 

“Do we have any idea how many made it out?” Nick started as they headed down the hallway. “And how many injured? Or the severity of their injuries?”

Zelda waved at them to turn, guiding them through several rooms and hallways, away from where they had thought they would be heading. They entered into the area under the academy that held several rooms that were more like dungeons and Zelda stopped in front of one. She flicked her wrist, opening up the heavy metal door and the four headed into the room.

Two partial bodies of Order members were laying on the floor, neither having all of their limbs. Magic rippled through all of them an eavesdropping spell was put into place. Ambrose arched a brow at that, wondering what his aunt was trying to hide from the other two warlocks. 

Zelda looked between the three. “I want you to see what information you can obtain from them. There’s a reason both of these covens were targeted and we need to find out what that is.” She nodded toward the candles and other materials she’d brought from the mortuary. “I wasn’t sure which items you wanted but let me know if you need anything else.”

Ambrose snorted, running a shaky hand through his hair. “They don’t need anything,” he muttered and Zelda’s gaze snapped to him before taking note of how Sabrina and Nick were purposefully looking away.

She turned her attention to the other two, waiting for them to look at her. “We just need a timer to make sure we don’t keep them up for too long,” Nick finally stated and Zelda held one out to him. “You know what you want to ask them?”

At her nod he turned toward the bodies. Zelda stepped back, expecting the other two to join him, for the salt circle to be put in place, a pentagram to be drawn onto the floor like she’d found the remnants of in the mortuary from last night’s necromancy. Instead Nick simply stepped over toward the two warlocks. 

“Rise and shine, boys,” he stated, flipping over the sandtimer. 

“The questions, auntie,” Sabrina prodded as Zelda stared as the two warlocks simply sat up, no spell needed to get them to rise. 

“On who’s authorization did you attack the Obscura Coven?” she stated and they didn’t reply.

“There’s no silence spell around them,” Sabrina murmured, frowning at the lack of magic. 

“No, they’re just being needlessly stubborn,” Nick replied, weaving a truth spell into the air, letting it surround the two deadmen. Their faces contorted in pain, still struggling against the magic that rippled through them, loosening their tongues. 

“The Antipope signed the order himself,” one started, wheezing after his answer. Nick kept up the spell, feeling them working to fight against it, even in death.

“What was the purpose of the attack?” Zelda continued, wanting to hear exactly what they had been instructed to do.

“We knew they would try to flee,” the other started. “That they would seek out help from Edward Spellman and his lot. We’d attempted it with the Coven of Deceit but were a little too quick with our attack. None managed to make it out.”

“Why does it matter that they would seek help from the Coven of Night?” Zelda asked, not liking the twisted smile that spread across the warlock’s face.

“Explain,” Nick told them, balling his hand into a fist and watching as the warlock tried to fight the truth spell, mouth twisting in agony as Nick thrust his hand downward, forcing the warlock’s mouth to move.

“We knew you would kill us to stop us from killing them,” the other added, and his grin was even worse. “And now the Anti Papacy will have reason to shut down this experiment in insanity and reclaim Greendale as its own.”

“Except we didn’t kill you,” Nick pointed out, none of them had slayed a single member of the Order. “You were eaten by a hellhound. It’s not our fault you got in its path.”

“We were simply helping others escape their deaths,” Ambrose added, trying to determine if there were any other ways this could be twisted against them. “Any attack made by a member of this coven was in self-defense.”

“You interfered with business that didn’t pertain to you, violating the One Hundred Years clause,” the warlock stated and the younger three stiffened at that.

“Something that no one can prove,” Zelda replied with a shrug. “There are no survivors from your side and considering that every other one of you was eaten by the hellhound and he’ll be dining on your flesh next, the Anti Papacy won’t be able to utilize any magic to get their answers from you. But thank you for giving us an idea of their plans.”

She turned her attention to Nick. “I believe we’ve heard enough.”

He nodded, undoing the magic that had temporarily brought the two back and their bodies fell back against the ground, lifeless again. “Make sure your hound eats well tonight, Sabrina,” Zelda stated, lips pressing together as she looked down at the bodies. 

“We need to go handle the other coven and see to the injuries now,” Zelda continued as she looked at the other three. “We are not mentioning what you heard here to anyone but your fathers when they return, understood?”

The three of them nodded. “And expect to discuss how exactly you managed to perform necromancy without a spell when we meet for dinner later, Nicholas,” Zelda looked over at him, waiting for another nod from him before she focused on her niece. “And whatever it is I’m sure you’ve managed to do that I haven’t learned of yet as well, Sabrina.” She nodded and Zelda glanced over at her nephew, watching as Ambrose swallowed hard. 

“Let’s go,” she waved at them to head out of the cell, closing the door behind them. It wouldn’t surprise her at all if she found gray hair in the mirror later that night. Hopefully they could manage to get through the rest of the day without anything else of substance happening.

* * *

Sabrina placed the set of blankets, pillows and sheets down onto the bed, mentally ticking off another task finished before she sat down on it. Nick was setting out the box of bottled water and a few snacks for the room and she watched him glance around the former dorm room of the academy. Others had gone through and utilized magic to quickly clean the unused rooms, ridding them of cobwebs and other bits and pieces so they would be suitable for use again.

“Do you think they’re actually in Slovenia?” she asked after a moment, turning her attention to the painting in the room that depicted the fall of the Dark Lord.

“Hmmm?” Nick glanced over his shoulder around her, arching a brow at her question.

“Our dads,” Sabrina clarified, though maybe she hadn’t needed to do so if the way Nick’s lips turned downward was any indication. “I can’t see them ignoring this many messages and what’s in the messages. I know that they might have just not come across them yet if they’re in meetings and things but…”

He sat on the bed opposite her, leaning forward as he pressed his elbows into his thighs. “If they were in meetings with another coven I think they’d have had a break by now and seen the messages.”

“You don’t think they’re with a coven?” Sabrina wasn’t sure how to take that idea, brow furrowing at the possibility.

“They weren’t last time,” Nick reminded her and she leaned back at that, falling back onto her elbows as she stared up at the ceiling. 

“But meetings with the Dark Lord should have breaks too, right?” They couldn’t possibly last for days on end without some?

“Maybe they’re not having them in our realm this time,” Nick murmured as he rose and moved to sit down beside her, knowing she wasn’t going to like that possibility. 

“I wonder if I can send Gilly to check,” she suggested, peering up at him and Nick considered that. 

“I say we definitely add that to the list of ideas for how to contact them.” He reached over, running a finger along her arm as she closed her eyes. She nodded, not bothering to verbalize anything else for the next few minutes. The silence was almost soothing, his touch helping to ease the tension that had been coiled tightly inside of her for most of the day. 

Sabrina turned, hands tucked under her chin as she looked over at him. “Why now?” she started and Nick shifted as well so that he was also laying on his side. He kept up his movement along her arm, waiting for her to expand. “Why did they wait until now to try this? Our covens are nearly at twenty years and it seems like the Coven of Deceit and the Obscura one have been on their paths for longer?”

“I have a feeling the Anti Papacy knew nothing about what your father was planning to do in Greendale until after he’d gotten the Dark Lord’s approval. He was a highly respected warlock. One that was in the line of successors for Antipope,” Nick pointed out. “It might have taken them this long to come up with a way to breach the laws and boundaries that have been established.” 

Sabrina’s frown only seemed to deepen at that and he tugged her over to him until she was resting her head against his chest. “Why can’t all paths to the Dark Lord exist?” she murmured into his shirt. Everyone just choosing whichever one suited them best?

Nick let out a sigh at that, knowing she already knew the answer as she curled her hands into his shirt. It all came down to power and the Anti Papacy’s desire to not lose an iota of theirs, not caring how many might need to die in order for them to hold onto it. 

“Come on,” he told her after a few more moments, helping to tug her up as he rose. “We wanted to get the rest of this doled out before finding your aunt again.”

* * *

Zelda scanned the academy’s infirmary, not liking the number of witches and warlocks that she was seeing. “How many?” she asked as she stopped beside her sister, watching as Hilda sank down onto a chair. 

Hilda wiped a towel against her brow, shoulders drooping. “Thirty-five.”

“Families?” Zelda asked, even though she knew the likelihood of that was impossible with how many were in the room. But perhaps they’d already started to bring some to the rooms in the academy...

Hilda shook her head. “Total saved.” She nodded around the room. “Two of the children, though neither of them have a family member here. A pregnant witch. Mother Maleficum. And thirty-one others.”

Zelda had known that not many had made it through, but she hadn’t expected the number to be so devastating. “There were over two hundred of them.”

“I know.” Hilda was going to need a stiff drink later. 

“Has there been any injury you can’t handle?” Zelda sighed as she sat down beside her sister, resting a hand on her shoulder briefly.

“Several were too far gone for us to save. One of them might lose an eye, there’s a few with burns that are going to take some time to heal, but we’ve managed to save everything else.” As best they could. 

“What are we doing with them?” Hilda motioned around to the group, their sagging shoulders and the sound of muffled cries filling the room. 

“That is the question of the hour,” Zelda murmured, fingers itching for a cigarette. “We’ll put them up here for tonight. Allow them some rest. I’m guessing you’ll not want me talking to Mother Maleficum before morning.”

“Considering she’s passed out and in a healing sleep, I wouldn’t recommend it,” Hilda replied, giving her a look. She wouldn’t be backing down from that.

Zelda nodded. “Very well.” The answers would still be there in a few more hours and she’d gotten the crux of what she’d needed from the two Order members already. 

“Aunties?” 

They turned at Sabrina’s voice and Hilda stood, drawing the girl into a hug. “What’s this I hear about you having a hellhound?”

“Surprise?” Sabrina murmured, nose scrunching at her other aunt’s pinched lips. 

“It seems our brother is keeping more secrets than we thought,” Zelda muttered as she rose too, watching as Nicholas headed into the room. “And he isn’t the only one.” It seemed Nathaniel was just as guilty of that. “But that’s a matter for another night. For now, we rest.” Though she doubted that any of them would get much sleep for the night. “Are the rooms prepared?”

The younger two nodded. “We got the witchlings to help and all the former bedrooms here have bedding in them again and we’ve got water and snacks in them too,” Sabrina told her. 

“And a schedule has been created for the kitchen with members volunteering to make meals for the next few days,” Nick added and Hilda nodded at that. 

“A home cooked meal can do wonders at times,” she murmured before giving Sabrina another squeeze. Not enough to bring back those that had been killed though.

“Now what?” Nick asked as he rubbed at the back of his neck. Exhaustion was beginning to set into his bones, the adrenaline from earlier having seeped out of him hours ago. 

“I’m going to contact your fathers again,” Zelda told him, eyes narrowing. She doubted they would get in touch with them just yet.

“What if they don’t answer?” Sabrina murmured. They all knew sometimes it could take up to a day for them to reply, if not longer. It had taken several the last time. If only the texting that they did on one another’s arms worked over longer distances. 

“Then we’ll go to them,” Zelda replied, because they couldn’t wait for an answer this time.

“What if they’re not actually in Slovenia?” Nick asked as he crossed his arms. 

“Where do you think they might be, Nicholas?” Zelda eyed him carefully, wondering if Nathaniel had told him something or let some tidbit accidentally slip in a conversation the two might have had.

“I don’t know.” But if they could lie about something as trivial as a gift then he thought it was possible for them to lie about where they went as well.

“Let’s focus on what we do know and can control for now,” Zelda suggested, nodding toward the beaten and bruised coven members. There was no reason for the two of them to stick around now that the bedding and food situation had been handled. “I want the two of you back at the mortuary. Ambrose is already there, tightening the boundary spells just in case. Do not leave it once you are there. Not unless you’re coming here and teleporting directly inside.”

“What about school?” Sabrina asked. 

“It’s canceled for the rest of the week,” Zelda informed them. “A leak in the boiler room needs to be fixed and school will resume on Monday.”

“Do you think...they’ll attack another coven?” Nick asked, swallowing hard at his own question. The task the Order had set out to do would have been seen as a failure since there would be no proof of the Covens of Night or Arcane going to the Obscura’s aid. He didn’t see the Anti Papacy giving up on its quest to overtake them when it had already slaughtered two of their allies. 

Zelda nodded for the two to head out of the room with her. 

Hilda gave Sabrina another tight hug before letting her follow the other two and heading back to see what other comforts she could offer the survivors. 

“The Anti Papacy has always been a threat,” Zelda replied once they were walking down the hall away and out of earshot from the others. “One we thought held at bay by the clause, but with this apparent desire of theirs to find a way around that…” Anything was possible at this point.

They headed back into Edward’s office, none of them quite bothering to sit just yet. Zelda moved to the cart, pouring three glasses of whiskey and floated the two one as she took a drink of her own. 

“How can they be allowed to do that anyway?” Sabrina asked, lips pulling into a frown as she clutched tightly to the glass. “There are only so many covens in the world. Only so many who worship the Dark Lord. How can he allow for the needless murder of so many of us?”

“Does he authorize them?” Nick asked, swallowing at the idea of that. 

“No. Nothing of the sort,” Zelda replied, motioning for the two of them to sit down as she leaned against the desk, setting her whiskey down on it. “The political games of the Anti Papacy have been happening for generations. They’ve strived to be the only way for our kind to worship the Dark Lord, squashing down any and all that they feel threatened by so that they keep their power.”

She let out a sigh as she looked at the two of them. “You’re wondering why he doesn’t stop them, why he doesn’t interfere in such matters.” They both nodded, trying to wrap their heads around all of it. “He’s given every witch and warlock the tools to protect themselves, to build their powers, to take down those that would oppress us. He simply won’t interfere in matters on Earth.”

“That’s stupid,” Sabrina muttered, sinking back into her chair.

“Is it?” Zelda arched a brow. “Earth is not his domain. Hell is. We have been gifted our abilities by him, but does he owe us more than that? Our longevity, our magic, the delights of this world are what we were promised.” That was all they were promised. “It’s up to each of us to take hold of them however we can.”

“I still think its stupid,” Sabrina muttered, crossing her arms in annoyance. 

“Sabrina, you hardly appreciate it when one of us interferes with your decisions,” Zelda pointed out. “Would you enjoy the Dark Lord needing to decide everything and anything you do?”

“This is different. It’s one of his covens needlessly slaughtering others,” she countered, shaking her head. “It’s wrong.”

“And to the Anti Papacy what we’ve done is wrong,” Nick muttered, before sighing. His head was beginning to hurt. 

“Exactly, Nicholas,” Zelda replied. There were so many sides to one issue. “But enough theology. Hilda and I will manage with the others. _Go home._ I’m sure you’re ready for a little bit of rest.” 

Not that she expected that any of them would manage to get any that evening. 

“We’ll have our discussion about your wordless magic at breakfast,” Zelda added, watching the two of them cringe at that. Nick nodded though, reaching over for her niece’s hand and Zelda watched as Sabrina reluctantly took hold of it. She was still scowling when the two teleported away. 

Zelda stared at the spot they had been standing in for a long moment before glancing at the mirror on her brother’s desk. 

Still no message.

Hopefully there would be one in the morning.

* * *

Not much had been said once they had arrived back at the mortuary, dinner eaten between the three before Sabrina and Nick had headed up to her room to try and get some sleep. They still hadn’t quite managed it when there was a knock at her door. 

“Cousin?”

Sabrina lifted her head off Nick’s chest, twisting around to look toward the door. “Ambrose?” 

She didn’t like the tone of his voice, void of any of its usually teasing lilt. “I'm not interrupting, am I?” he continued and Sabrina glanced back at Nick, spotting his arched brow in the moonlight that drifted down on the bed.

“No,” Nick called out and they watched as the older warlock peeked into the room before entering it fully. His owl was perched on his shoulder, blanket in his hands and Sabrina’s forehead creased as she tried to figure out what was happening before her cousin moved to sit down on the chair that Nick had occupied a few weeks back.

She sat up at that, watching as he draped the blanket over himself. “Ambrose?”

He wasn’t quite looking at her, his gaze drifting to the window. “I just... I need to know you're both safe.”

“That chair is ridiculously uncomfortable,” Nick reminded him as he sat up as well.

The older warlock shrugged, settling back against it. “I'll be fine.”

“We're in our pajamas,” Sabrina pointed out, motiong between her and Nick, who was even sporting a t-shirt that night. She knew he’d worn it to bed in case they were called in the middle of the night. It seemed all of them were more on edge than they wanted to let on.

“Get over here,” Nick told the other warlock, motioning for him to join them on the bed. 

They scooted over as Ambrose headed over, still wrapped up in his own blanket before joining them on the bed. He laid staring up at the ceiling, watching out of the corner of his eye as Sabrina curled up against Nick again. Desdemona headed over to perch on top of the vanity while Salem shifted on his usual pillow, meowing at the disturbance. Amalia simply snorted from her spot at the end of the bed before closing her eyes again. 

“You're terrified,” Nick commented once he was certain Sabrina was asleep. 

Ambrose turned at that, looking over at the two of them. He reached over, brushing his fingers through his cousin’s curls much like he’d done when she was little. “I used to have nightmares after Uncle Edward brought me back here,” he started. “Vicious ones about what I endured during my ‘questioning’. But none of them ever compared to the ones I had after she was born.”

The thought of the Anti Papacy getting their hands on his baby cousin was more gut wrenching than anything Ambrose had experienced. “They were far too close to her today,” he continued, even if the Order had been half a room away from her. “Far too close to all of us. And we both know this is only going to get worse.”

Nick knew Ambrose was right. If the Anti Papacy wanted to destroy them as the members of the Order had stated they would stop at nothing until that happened. It seemed they were already trying to find a way around the One Hundred Years clause. 

“We'll be ready,” Nick murmured and Ambrose swallowed at the conviction he heard in the younger warlock’s voice.

He hoped that was true. “I don’t think it's a coincidence that Uncle Edward and your father have the two of you teaching the others those specific spells,” Ambrose replied and Nick nodded, thinking the same. “Did you pick up on anything when you went with them this summer?”

“No. I didn’t go into any meetings with them.” He hadn’t thought much of it, had simply wanted the break from Greendale for a month or two. “Mostly I just explored the surrounding areas. I met with members of the coven but it was more recreational than anything.”

“Recreational?” Ambrose arched a brow before taking in Nick’s pointed look. “Ah.” 

“If they don’t answer by tomorrow I’m going to suggest I teleport over,” Nick told him as Sabrina stirred slightly, burrowing closer into him. Nick brushed her hair, wanting to make sure she was still asleep before continuing. “I know where they’re supposed to be.” 

“Still thinking they might not be?” Ambrose asked, noting the other warlock’s uncertainty.

“We thought they were going to be dealing with the Anti Papacy last year and it turned out they were having meetings with the Dark Lord,” Nick reminded and Ambrose snorted, clasping his hand to his mouth when Sabrina shifted again.

“Valid point,” he murmured as Salem let out a harsh meow. “Probably a good idea to try and get some sleep.”

Though if her familiar was up… 

“If you think you’re teleporting on your own anywhere, _Nicholas_ , you’ve lost your damn mind,” Sabrina muttered into Nick’s neck, earning a chuckle from Ambrose who turned to look at the ceiling again as Nick let out a sigh, wrapping his arm around Sabrina before kissing her head again. 

“We’ll talk about it in the morning,” he murmured, tugging the blanket back around them. 

Salem hissed at the three of them before making his way across the bed, stepping on them until he curled up against Amalia, meowing at the three of them for disturbing his sleep. No one dared speak another word, exhaustion eventually winning out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, everyone. It's really delightful to see what you guys think is happening and how you're enjoying this world I'm working to create.
> 
> Next chapter the fathers return and some secrets are finally revealed.


	20. the devil's backbone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once Ambrose and Prudence head upstairs there will be a more intimate scene between Nick and Sabrina. Skip to the next part if you don't want to read that, though something significant does happen during it, but the two discuss it in the next scene.

“I knew there wasn’t anything wrong with the boiler,” Harvey murmured as he sat down on the couch in the Spellman home. The rest of the Fright Club had made themselves comfortable too, with Ambrose joining them as well.

“It seemed like something they would have noticed and figured out during winter break considering it was way colder the last two weeks of December,” Theo murmured in agreement from his spot on the floor.

“Are you guys…” Roz struggled for the right word to say. Okay didn’t seem like the one to use. Not after all the death they had just seen.

“It was a lot,” Sabrina managed to get out before curling more into Nick’s side. He wrapped his arm tighter around her, not quite able to get the sight of the bloody and dying members of the other coven out of his mind either. 

“It always is with that lot,” Ambrose muttered from the chair he was half laying across. He wasn’t quite looking at anyone and Sabrina didn’t like the dark bags under his eyes, or the tightness of his shoulders. “They do not care about who they hurt as long as they get what they want. And what they wanted this time was death.”

“Not everyone died though, right?” Theo asked, glancing around the room.

“Thirty-five lived,” Ambrose replied, looking up at the ceiling.

“Just thirty-five?” Sabrina asked. She hadn’t known how many had managed to make it.

“That’s what I heard Aunt Hilda telling someone who was here earlier.” He wasn’t sure which member of the coven it had been. It probably didn’t matter.

“Is that a lot? I don’t know how many there usually are,” Roz frowned, trying to remember how many there were in their covens. “You guys have like what...nearly five hundred?” But she knew they were two covens and Sabrina and Nick had mentioned they had more than was usual.

“About that, yeah,” Nick replied. Give or take a few. 

“There were over two hundred of them,” Ambrose continued and silence fell between the group at that, the gravity of the situation hitting all of them again in equal measure. 

“Do you think they’ll come here?” Harvey whispered after a few moments.

“The Antipope’s soldiers?” Nick asked, pretty sure that’s who he meant. 

“Is that what they were?” Theo asked, still not at all sure about witch politics. 

“Good enough description of them. It was the Order of the Infernal,” Ambrose explained with a wave of his hand. “The ones who do that office’s dirty work and enjoy the spoils of their deeds.”

“What’s going to happen to the other coven?” Roz asked as she spotted Sabrina’s frown at her cousin’s words, trying to steer the conversation to a new topic.

“We don’t know,” Sabrina told her, shrugging helplessly at that. “They’re trying to talk to reach our dads and talk it through with them. But for now they’re staying at the coven’s old academy.”

“Can’t you write on your arm thing to reach them?” Theo nodded toward their arms. He knew Sabrina and Nick did it all the time and had seen some of the others use it in school too.

“Not at the distance they’re at,” Nick sighed. He wished it had been that easy. “It’s notes sent across the distance and landing on their table. That they’re hopefully reading.”

“They might try to reach them through mirrors too,” Ambrose pointed out, nodding toward one that hung on the far wall.

“This is one of those times cellphones would have been useful,” Harvey muttered and Ambrose snorted at that. 

“One of many,” the older warlock agreed, but he didn’t see them adopting that technology even after this incident. 

“So what are you guys going to do?” Theo asked, looking back over at his friends.

“Since we’re all off for the next few days the witchlings want to meet up,” Nick replied and Sabrina nodded against him. He leaned his cheek against her hair. “They want to learn some more spells that could help out.”

“Aunt Zee doesn’t want you straying from here,” Ambrose reminded, waving a finger at them. Or at least that’s what she’d stated to the three before rushing off to the academy again that morning, letting them know she’d call for them if their help was needed. They didn’t want to overwhelm the grieving Obscura coven members with too many visitors. 

“Guess it's a good thing they’re coming here,” Nick countered and Ambrose pursed his lips at that.

“That is a lovely little loophole you’ve managed,” the older warlock replied with a nod of approval. It would give them something to focus on while the elders dealt with everything else. Their aunt might even appreciate having the witchlings occupied so they wouldn’t be underfoot. Plus it meant Sabrina and Nick wouldn’t be around asking her questions she wouldn’t answer. 

“Ambrose, do you know how to undo a banishing spell?” Sabrina asked, pulling his attention back to her.

“Undo one?” he arched a brow, wondering which she wanted undone.

“Daddy made it so Gilly can’t step foot on our property,” she explained, sitting up a little at that. Nick loosened his grip on her as she moved, but kept his hand on her hip, needing to feel her there.

“And you want to let the hellhound in?” Ambrose asked, weighing his options.

“He’s kind of shown he’s a decent barrier against the Order, don’t you think?” Sabrina replied, watching him carefully.

He _had_ done a fairly good job at tearing that lot apart. “Point. I’ll look into it. Where is he now?”

“Stalking the border of our property,” Sabrina nodded out the window and everyone turned, spotting the hellhound off to the side.

“Amalia is out there with him,” Nick added, shaking his head as he spotted the wolf laying in the grass.

“And so is Salem,” Sabrina pointed toward the black cat moving with the hellhound from the Spellman side of the boundary.

“Yes, but he’s out there hissing at the creature,” Nick murmured, trying not to laugh at the cat’s indignation.

“And Amalia is just laying around, glaring at the two of them,” Sabrina poked him in the side.

“Salem isn’t a fan?” Theo asked. Usually he wanted to meet everyone and everything.

“He’s a little jealous that Gilly was meant to be her first familiar,” Nick replied and Sabrina rolled her eyes at that.

“I’ve tried assuring him that he’s my favorite, but you know how he is, wanting all of my attention,” she murmured, shaking her head. 

“At least some things are still the same around here,” Harvey pointed out from his spot on a chair, bringing out a soft chuckle from the group as Salem bounded into the house, meowing pitifully as he headed to Sabrina, demanding attention.

She easily scooped him up, letting him curl up in her lap. He only stopped meowing once she began petting him. The others slowly said their goodbyes, climbing into Harvey's truck together after promising to call and check in later. 

“Have you considered, cousin, trying your thread tugging ability to undo the banishing spell?” Ambrose commented after a moment, nodding out toward the Spellman grounds. 

Sabrina considered that, brows knitting together as she rose to look out the window. She could see a variety of threads of magic layered all throughout the lawn and cemetery, flowing inside of the house and protecting those who lived there. She wasn’t sure which was being used to keep Gilly from entering and which were in place to keep spirits, enemies, and anything else out though. 

Turning back to the two she shook her head. “I don’t want to accidentally undo any of the other protections around the house.”

Ambrose rose, joining her by the window as Nick picked up Salem who’d begun meowing pitifully over his abandonment. “What exactly do you see?”

“Different colored threads. Different intensities to them. Criss-crossed all over the lawn and into the house,” she replied before shaking her head. “But only when I’m looking for them. Otherwise it's just the cemetery.”

“How long have you been able to do that?” Ambrose asked, squinting to try and see what she did.

“I think I always kind of sensed it, but it was stronger after my Dark Baptism.” Sabrina glanced back at Nick. “And then when we started trying to pinpoint how to combine our magic I could focus on it more. I could feel the differences in mine and Nick’s and then I could see them. That just sort of led to me seeing the differences all around.” 

It had become significantly more pronounced after their magic had settled inside of one another. She wasn’t sure she’d have been able to see the threads of the vow of silence if they hadn’t managed to combine their magic. 

Sabrina headed back over to sit back down by Nick, giving Salem a scratch behind his ear as penance for her having set him down. “When are we going to try contacting our dads on our own?” she asked, looking pointedly between the two of them as she remembered the conversation she’d woken up to the night before. “Because I’m still nixing anyone going to find them on their own.”

Ambrose snorted at that while Nick let out a sigh. “You suggested sending Gilly earlier in the day,” he murmured as he remembered that conversation. “Think we could send him with a note?”

“Are you sure Uncle Edward won’t just banish the creature on sight?” Ambrose asked, because it seemed to him that his uncle was not a fan of the hellhound.

“I think that would only happen if they’re actually Slovenia,” Nick countered, musing over the possibilities. “Maybe his presence could alert them to actually check their messages. If they’re elsewhere and with who we think they might be--”

“Who do you think they’re with?” Ambrose butted in, watching as his cousin nodded along with Nick. Sometimes it seemed to him like the two of them were speaking their own language or at the very least continuing on with conversations he’d missed out on.

“Maybe the Dark Lord?” Sabrina suggested and Ambrose leaned back against the chair, hands locking behind his head as he considered that.

“I suppose that would explain why we can’t get in contact with them, but they could also just be knee deep in meetings or something of the sort,” he tried to reason. Though he couldn’t see them being in meetings for two days now without checking anything. “Can’t hurt to try a hellhound carrier though.”

“If we don’t hear from them by dinner?” Sabrina suggested looking between the two of them. Nick nodded. That seemed reasonable. 

There was a knock at the door and Sabrina pursed her lips at how quickly Ambrose rose at that. She didn’t like the smile that tugged at his lips and sank back down onto the couch as he waved a hand to open the door. Prudence strode in a second later. “The gathering isn’t for another two hours, right?” her cousin asked, winking at Prudence who was leaning in the entryway to the room.

Nick shook his head as Sabrina rolled her eyes, letting him answer Ambrose. “Correct.”

“Don’t look so glum, cousin,” Ambrose teased, ruffling Sabrina’s hair as he headed over to Prudence. “Perhaps you can show Nick that tongue thing we talked about.”

She slapped at his hands, grumbling about the Cain pit as her cheeks reddened. Nick bit his inner cheek, trying to stop himself from chuckling as Ambrose and Prudence headed upstairs. “Tongue thing?” Nick asked as he tugged Sabrina over to him, enjoying the way her blush seemed to deepen at that before she tried to smother him with one of the pillows. 

It was easy enough to get the pillow out of her hands and maneuver Sabrina so that she was the one pressed against the couch instead of him. She pouted as she looked up at him, trying to keep still when Nick brushed his thumb against her lower lip. “I’ll help you bury him later,” Nick told her and Sabrina’s lips twitched in amusement at that before she scrunched her nose. 

“You think you’re so cute.” She poked at his sides, sucking in a breath as he stroked his fingers featherlight along her collarbone. 

“Yeah?” Nick arched a brow before dipping his head down to press a kiss to the spot his fingers had just been. “And what do you think?”

She squirmed as his hand slipped under her shirt, fingers brushing along her stomach as he started kissing his way up her neck. “I think you’re alright.” It took all of her inner strength to keep her hands at her side and not tangle them in his hair like she wanted. 

“Alright?” Nick nipped at her neck, enjoying the groan that pulled out of her. He grinned against her skin as her hands curled into his hair, tugging to guide him to where she wanted his lips to go next. She arched her neck, trying to give him more access. He was more than happy to comply with that, hand sliding up her upward and ghosting underneath her bra. Her soft sighs that turned quickly into moans, all of the sounds he was able to pull out from her were like his own personal symphony, moving him forward to try and give rise to new sensations throughout her body.

“Lanuae magicae,” Sabrina breathed out, depositing the two of them onto her bed. Her aunt’s warning to keep it to her area of the house had echoed in her head when Nick had started to undo the buttons of her jeans and she didn’t want to give Ambrose any further fuel to add to his teasing either. 

He helped her out of her jeans, lips pressing together at her frustrated puff of air when they’d tangled around her ankles, quickly swallowing whatever annoyed remark she was going to make as he kissed her. She rolled them, easily getting him onto his back, their mouths continuously finding one another as she worked to undo his belt. Her triumphant roll of her hips as she tugged it loose had Nick digging his nails into her waist, groaning into her mouth before he lightly pushed her off of him so he could get his pants and boxers off. 

When he turned back to her Sabrina had already removed her shirt and was working on undoing her bra, her eyes narrowed with determination. While she was still flushed, the look that she fixed him with as she dropped her bra off to the side was nowhere near the almost shy one she’d had only moments ago. He moved forward as she curled a finger, beckoning him toward her before ever so gently cradling her head in his hands. 

“I love you,” Nick murmured as he plucked the headband from her hair, setting it down carefully on the bedside table. Sabrina turned her head, pressing her cheek into his hand before drawing it to her so she could kiss his palm. 

She laughed as he pressed her back down onto her pillows, thighs opening up to him as he settled between them. “I love you too,” she told him, stroking her fingers through his hair before he kissed her again. 

The playfulness quickly shifted into something hungrier, deeper and nearly all-consuming, neither quite able to be parted from the other for too long. It amazed her how something she’d always thought would shift into almost a routine seemed to be different every single time the two of them came together. The slide of his hands, the feel of his lips, the way his body seemed to fit against hers depending on the angle all shifted and changed depending on so many factors. She wasn’t sure she’d ever learn them all, but she craved each new experience, every sensation that Nick was so easily able to stoke from inside of her. 

Sabrina lifted her hips, helping him remove her panties and nearly came undone when he lazily drew the triquetra against her thigh before pressing a kiss there. She couldn’t contain that power that seemed to ripple through her at that, the candles in her room all lighting at once. He did it again, a little higher this time, and Sabrina cried out, icicles forming along her window.

“Nick,” she whimpered, as she dropped her head back against the pillows, unable to think coherently as he worked at her with fingers, mouth and tongue. He didn’t need to do much, her body incredibly wired from the magic that seemed to be flowing between the two of them, thankful that he remembered the contraception spell because she wasn’t sure she could speak.

He had the audacity to wink at her once he was lined up with her, brushing back a strand of her hair and Sabrina lightly shoved him, thankful that he dropped back against the bed so she could straddle him. She drew the symbol along his chest, smirking when he tensed at that, sensing the power that rippled through him as well, feeling her own tugging at his. 

“I didn’t get to do the tongue thing,” she pouted as he helped her settle down onto him, hands steadying her hips as she got used to the feel of him.

“Next time,” Nick groaned, helping her to start moving. 

On some level they were both aware of the pure light that seemed to seep out of them, spreading out through the room in waves as they worked toward their release together. It filled the room before moving outward, entwining in the magic that was buried deep in the ground around the Spellman mortuary, and then further out to the magic saturated in Greendale’s soil, becoming one with them as it pulled back inward, settling back inside of the two. 

Nick felt as though he might burst, the magic stretching against his skin, nearly overwhelming him as he looked up at Sabrina. Her eyes turned white, a crown of blue fire circling her head while the same fire seemed to move behind her back, silhouetting her with wings before she cried out, body trembling in pleasure as she collapsed against him. He didn’t have time to make sense of it, his own desire boiling over as the excess magic seemed to flow into her. 

She shifted off of him slightly, burrowing into his side as she let out a shaky breath, still slightly overwhelmed by the physical and emotional rush. Nick ran his fingers along her back and she gasped at how sensitive she still felt, nerve endings on fire wherever he touched her before his hand settled in her hair. 

“You were glowing,” he murmured after a moment.

“Hmm?” Sabrina looked up at him then, arching a brow. She wasn’t sure what he was talking about.

“In blue fire,” Nick continued and she sat up at that. “Just blue.”

He trailed his hand up her arm, gaze dropping to her bare chest before he forced himself to look back at her face. Nick sat up as he took her teeth worrying at her bottom lip. “Just glowing?” Sabrina asked, not too sure what it meant.

“Well...no. It was like you had wings coming off of you and a crown on your head,” he continued and Sabrina looked out the window, spotting the hellhound wandering the edge of the property.

“Was it blue like the fire that surrounds Gilly?” Dread pulled in her stomach and Nick shifted closer, thumb brushing against her cheek. 

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asked but Sabrina shook her head before pressing her face into his neck, arms wrapping tightly around him. 

She didn’t want to give voice to the thoughts that had briefly stirred in her head, pushed them deep down as Nick ran a soothing hand up her back. It didn’t mean anything that she’d somehow had hellfire around her. Or that a hellhound came at her beck and call. Or that the Dark Lord had somehow helped her parents have her. Or that her power seemed to come from within in ways that no one else’s seemed to. 

“Sabrina?” Nick tried again, feeling her trembling against him. 

“Can we just lay here for a little longer?” she murmured, pushing the stray thoughts down further. 

“For a few more minutes and then we probably want to shower before Ambrose uses up all of the hot water,” Nick replied, pleased that brought a snort from her before he settled back against the pillows with her still in his arms. 

“Just five more minutes,” Sabrina told him as she closed her eyes, thankful he didn’t pry any further.

* * *

An hour later and Sabrina was sitting at her vanity and trying to concentrate on reapplying her eyeliner. It was no use though, Nick’s words about a crown of blue flames around her head and _wings_ echoing in her mind. Was it actually hellfire like Gilly brought with him, something that tied the hellhound to the Dark Lord’s realm, or something else? She just couldn’t figure out what that ‘something else’ could even be? But then why would she be tied to the Dark Lord’s realm in any way either? Her hand shook, smearing eyeliner past where she’d wanted it and Sabrina dropped the pen, cursing. She muttered a quick spell, righting the mess she’d made and leaned back in the chair. 

Sabrina tried to focus on the sound of the shower, to let her thoughts drift toward a very naked Nick Scratch inside of it, but the dread that had settled in her stomach wouldn’t go away. At least Nick hadn’t seemed afraid, more...amazed. And she knew he wouldn’t say anything to anyone else until she was ready for anyone to find out about it. 

Salem slid through her keyhole, shifting back into his cat form and hissed at her bedroom door before hurrying over to her side and pressing up against her leg. “What’s gotten into you?” Sabrina asked as she scooped him up, smiling at his soft purring as she cradled him to her chest. 

Another black shadow passed through her keyhole, shifting into Rhea a second later and Salem let out a whine, thoroughly unamused at having the leopard back in the house. The older familiar ignored him, heading over to Sabrina as well and she shifted Salem so she could still hold him comfortably while also petting Rhea. 

“Be nice,” she murmured, not sure which of them she was speaking to as she rose and headed to the bathroom door. Sabrina knocked once on it before opening it slightly. “Our dads are back.” At least that’s what she assumed Rhea’s presence meant anyway. 

“Be right out,” Nick told her, giving her a wink and the pit in her stomach eased up a little, replaced by that thrumming of desire as she closed the door again.

Sabrina settled onto the bed, slowly running her fingers through Salem’s fur as Rhea jumped up to join the two. Her familiar glared at her father’s, letting out another whine as Rhea rested her head on Sabrina’s lap as well, also wanting some attention. “Someone’s feeling greedy today,” she murmured, giving Salem’s head a scratch as she alternated between the two.

He let out an annoyed meow at that and Sabrina rolled her eyes. “I have not been spending all of my time with Nick and ignoring you.” Another meow followed. “You don’t even sleep on that side of the bed.” 

Nick headed out of the bathroom then, toweling off his hair and thankfully fully dressed as well. “Is this your way of angling for more of those catnip treats from the store?” he asked, arching a brow at Salem as he headed over to the bedside table on his side of the bed, pulling open the drawer.

Sabrina didn’t think she’d ever seen her familiar move as fast as he did then and chuckled as he headed over to Nick, rubbing up against the warlock who fished out a few for Salem to eat out of his hand. “Bribery,” she murmured, shaking her head at the two as Rhea butted her head into Sabrina’s stomach. “I’m glad you’re back too.”

“We should probably head down there,” Nick told her after giving Salem one more pet. “If they sent her up here they’re expecting us to come down pretty soon after. And we should probably get the message out to the others that the gathering is going to need to be rescheduled.” Thankfully, the witchlings all used phones so a quick group text would do the trick.

He rounded the bed, offering her a hand to help pull as Rhea moved off the bed. “Nick?” Sabrina started, not quite wanting to say what she was thinking in front of her father’s familiar, but she didn’t want to talk about what had happened.

“I know,” he pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her and Sabrina leaned into the touch, thankful she didn’t need to expand. “Come on.” 

They headed down the stairs, Salem deciding to stay behind on the safety of Sabrina’s bed as Rhea bounded down the stairs after them. Sabrina scrunched her nose as she spotted Ambrose saying goodbye to Prudence, still not quite able to comprehend the gentleness in his kiss to the other witch before Prudence waved her fingers at them before leaving the house. 

“Prudence will contact the others and let them know the gathering is off for now,” Ambrose informed the two as he turned toward them. “I’m sure you’ll get barraged by questions about your fathers return soon enough.”

Sabrina stepped over to her cousin, easily sliding in for a hug, thankful that he pulled her in tight. Ambrose even dropped a kiss to her head, giving her an extra squeeze before the three headed toward the kitchen.

It was almost a normal family scene when they stepped inside the room. Hilda was at the counter, cutting up potatoes, Zelda sitting at the table with a cigarette in hand, her father sitting next to her. Nathaniel wasn’t there but Sabrina spotted his jacket hung on the back of another chair. No doubt the other warlock was somewhere in the house. If the atmosphere hadn’t been as stilted as it was Sabrina could almost imagine it was Yule all over again and they were simply hanging out before dinner that night. 

“You’re certain they claimed these attacks as a trap for us?” Edward asked, the three coming in on the tailend of the conversation.

Zelda nodded toward them. “These three can verify it.”

“Needless slaughter just to try and find a loophole here,” Ambrose muttered as headed over to Hilda, nodding toward the potatoes to see if she needed help. “Is it really surprising?”

“No,” Edward replied, motioning for the other two to take a seat. “None of us had an idea that the Anti Papacy would orchestrate the massacre of an entire coven to try and stake their claim here. We knew they were planning something--”

“They always are,” Ambrose muttered from his spot beside Hilda. She reached over, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

“But why? Why are they so Heaven-bent on destroying what you've built?” Sabrina leaned against the table, elbows pressing into the wood and Edward sighed at the innocence in her voice, not quite sure how to take the tarnished edges to it that he could hear now. He’d done all he could to protect her and in the end he wasn’t sure it had helped any.

“They're losing power, Sabrina,” Zelda answered, before taking a long drag. “Their status among our kind is slipping to nothing and they do not want to lose all that they have plundered and claimed as their own.”

“But why come for our covens specifically?” Nick asked, because he couldn’t figure that part out. Why were they targeting them? Why had they set a trap in motion so that they could come to Greendale?

“Because we have been plotting their downfall for centuries. Because we are the ones tasked with creating the Dark Lord’s new way of being worshipped,” Edward replied and Nick’s eyes widened at that, seeing the same surprise reflected in Sabrina’s and even Ambrose’s gaze. But all of the adults in the room simply nodded at that. “Not that they knew that until recently.”

“How recently?” Ambrose asked, falling into one of the seats at the table. 

“After the Dark Lord granted my request to form our own path,” Edward informed them as he leaned back in his chair. “He’s allowed for others to try their own things before but they have never been given as much leeway as we have. No one else has had a century to create what we have without outside interference.”

“But I thought they all had their own clauses in place?” Ambrose replied, looking around the table, Sabrina and Nick nodding along to that.

“Twenty years is the standard,” Zelda informed them, flicking ash into the tray. “If they manage to impress the Dark Lord they might get another twenty and then perhaps another, but that rarely happens. Most simply learn to disappear into the world, far from the Anti Papacy’s claws so they cannot be harmed.”

“It’s what the Obscura and Deceit had been doing,” Hilda murmured from her spot at the counter. “They’d even been doing fairly well with it. Even if it limited their contact with anyone else.” 

“Weakening their numbers since they couldn’t exactly marry outside of the coven or bring new witches and warlocks in,” Zelda smacked her lips at that as Ambrose picked at the tablecloth in front of him. 

Sabrina’s head was swirling with too many threads of thoughts, latching onto everything they were saying and letting it fill in pieces of the jumbled puzzle Nick and her had been trying to put together. There was so much information being offered up in such a short time, confirming some things they’d considered and adding more layers to everything.

“They've been plotting this for twenty years?” Sabrina murmured, pressing her palms onto the table. “The Anti Papacy? You said they learned you’ve been working against them after the Dark Lord approved your proposals.” Which was twenty years ago.

“This isn't their first attack against us,” Edward replied and they looked back at him. 

Ambrose racked his brain trying to figure out when they had been attacked before in the last twenty years, but he was coming up blank. “What does that mean?” Nick insisted but Edward raised a hand, shaking his head.

Nick wasn’t sure why at first until he spotted Blackwood, Highmore, and Mother Maleficum entering into the room as well. “This is not the news any of us wanted,” Highmore murmured as he shook Edward’s hand before sitting down. Blackwood simply nodded at him before taking up a spot as well. Mother Maleficum took the seat that Zelda had left and seemed in no hurry to retake, leaning against the counter instead. 

“What news do you have?” Blackwood asked after a moment, hand curling around his cane as he took in all of their serious expressions.

“Seventeen covens have officially renounced the Anti Papacy,” Edward informed them and Father Highmore let out a pleased sigh at that. 

Hilda floated the tea kettle onto the middle of the table, cups materializing in front of everyone before she brought the selection of tea bags over. “I have your favorite, Hesita,” she offered the High Priestess. “Strawberry and vanilla.”

The older witch patted her hand before nodding her thanks. She still hadn’t spoken a word and Sabrina wasn’t sure she would, not with the haunted look in her gaze. They’d only seen a small slice of what the Obscura coven had endured. She couldn’t even imagine the sorrow that had to be filling the woman over having so many of her coven murdered before her eyes. She reached over and helped open the tea bag for the older witch, offering up as much of a smile as she could as she poured her some of the hot water. 

Mother Maleficium squeezed her hand in thanks as well before cupping her hands around the teacup and Sabrina turned her attention back to the conversation. 

“If seventeen have left then that leaves ten with them,” Zelda murmured from her spot, lighting another cigarette. “And those are the ones we knew would be continuing their allegiance.”

“They are no longer the majority,” Highmore breathed out, blinking at this revelation.

“Nor are we though,” Blackwood pointed out. “Unless you have managed to ensure their devotion to your-- _our_ ways.” 

“We are not going to force anyone to worship our Dark Lord in any way other than how they deem appropriate,” Edward replied and Blackwood shook his head. “We will not strip power from them to give to ourselves in order to lord it over them. We’re no better than the Anti Papacy then.”

“So there is no allegiance for all of us then,” Blackwood’s lips thinned at that. 

“I didn’t say that, Faustus,” Edward smiled over at the man. “We signed an agreement though to help one another against any who try to force their will upon us again and to allow one another freedom to worship as we see fit.”

“Is that why you’ve been going to Slovenia?” Nick asked, watching as his father entered the room. 

“Yes. It was the last part of years of planning, continuing the work of your mother, Nicholas,” Nathaniel started as he sat down at the table as well. “She visited every single one of them, showcasing her years of research. All of the proof she’d gathered through the ages of their many transgressions. You were with her on a few of those occasions.”

He had been, but Nick had never been privy to her conversations with the elders of the covens.

“Every coven has lost at least one family to the Anti Papacy through the years,” Zelda continued as she rose, fitting another cigarette into her holder. “For most it was more than that.”

“But leaving them means a coven is open to attack,” Edward stated, sighing as he shook his head. “We realized decades ago that we needed to turn their strength in numbers against them. Biding our time, building our own strengths and working to come together.” He looked across the table again, reaching over for the High Priestess’ hand. “I only wish we’d managed to discover their plan before it was too late, Hestia.”

She patted it. “We could not save all of us, but those that survived will live in a world that isn’t under their thumb. They will have the freedom I glimpsed when I was younger.” Mother Maleficum smiled softly at that and Sabrina watched as her father and the other adults nodded at that. “That our parents and their parents had before the Anti Papacy dug its claws in.”

“A new era is coming,” Edward agreed and Sabrina frowned as she wondered just how sheltered they had made sure she’d been from truly knowing what the world outside of Greendale was like for their kind. 

“The Anti Papacy will not simply roll over and accept this, Edward,” Blackwood pointed out. “We are leaving ourselves open for another attack.”

“We have always been open to attack by them, Faustus,” Edward reminded him and Nathaniel nodded in agreement to that. “The one hundred years clause is something they never accepted.”

“Our members do not have the skills and training needed to deal with an outright attack from them,” Blackwood continued and Ambrose stiffened at that.

“I’m told it is our children that easily dispatched members of the Order,” Nathaniel countered, nodding over to Nick and Sabrina. 

“Technically it was the hellhound,” Nick pointed out and Sabrina nodded at that. 

“So you say,” Blackwood started, hands curled around his cane.

“He’s right out back,” Sabrina smiled sweetly at him. “Would you like to meet him?”

Blackwood pressed his lips together at that. “And he just happened to come to our coven’s aide?”

Sabrina shrugged. “No. He came to mine.” 

“Yours? Why would he do something like that?” Blackwood asked, arching a brow before he looked around at the others. Surely they found the child’s claims just as fanciful.

"He’s mine.” Sabrina looked over at her father. “Isn’t he, daddy?”

Edward sighed at that, knowing he could no longer deny that fact. “Yes. A gift from the Dark Lord.” 

“Like my books,” Nick added, before taking a sip of his tea.

“Your books?” Nathaniel arched a brow at that, not certain what his son was referring to.

Nick frowned. “The infernal texts he gave me.”

“The Dark Lord gifted you texts?” Nathaniel glanced over at Edward, watching as his friend shook his head. Clearly he knew nothing about it.

“I thought mom told you,” Nick replied, looking between the two men.

Nathaniel opened his mouth to reply to that before letting out a sigh as Edward shook his head. Now wasn’t the time to delve into this. “A conversation for another day.” 

He reached over, placing his hand on top of Nick’s and gave it a squeeze before withdrawing again. 

“What are our plans going forward?” Zelda asked, steering the conversation back on track.

“The Obscura coven will be joining ours,” Edward replied, nodding toward the other room. “Hestia wishes to step down and the other members wish to stay. At least for now. We’ll continue with what you’ve set in place. They’ll stay at the Academy until new houses can be bought or built. The younger two will be adopted into our families.”

“The Jackson family has been considering children,” Hilda piped up from the stove. “And so have the Pierces.”

Perfect. “We’ll see if they’re a good fit.” At least that was one thing settled. He turned his attention to Sabrina and Nick again. “I want the two of you to work with the witchlings. Continue on the spells I gave you.”

“We were planning on meeting with them in a little bit but rescheduled for tomorrow,” Nick informed him and Edward nodded. 

“We have a Council meeting in thirty minutes,” Edward stated as he rose, the other adults beginning to do so as well. “Zelda.”

“I’ll be heading back to the Academy with Hestia to see to the rest of her coven,” she informed him, nodding toward the High Priestess. “Hilda will be staying here, yes?”

Her sister nodded from the stove, tossing the last bit of vegetables into the pot. “Dinner should be ready by the time you’re all back.”

“The three of you are not to leave the boundaries of this house,” Zelda fixed Ambrose, Sabrina and Nick a look.

“What about Gilly?” Sabrina asked, nodding toward the window. The hellhound was laying out at the boundary of their property. 

“He was rather helpful the other day,” Nick added. No one could deny that he’d helped them all out.

Her father stiffened a bit but nodded, motioning for the others to head off. “I’ll lift the banishment before we head to the meeting.” 

He focused his attention on Sabrina, smiling softly at her as he moved to pull her into a hug. They hadn’t parted on the best terms and she still wanted to know why he had lied, what else he seemed to be hiding from her and how it might all tie into what she’d done earlier. But she didn’t push for any of that, simply hugged him back, thankful he was home. 

“After dinner, we should spend some time together, my little witch,” Edward told her after a moment, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Of course, daddy.” She nodded, offering her own smile back even as an uneasy feeling stirred in the pit of her stomach. There was something...off about his voice. A melancholy to it that she hadn’t quite heard from him before.

“Need help with dinner, auntie?” Ambrose asked once Edward had left the room as well, turning to look over at Hilda. 

“I won’t say no to a bit of help,” the older witch replied, nodding toward the rest of the vegetables that she needed to get started on.

Ambrose gathered them up, depositing the assortment on the kitchen table before looking over at the other two. They nodded. Some mindless peeling and chopping seemed like the best course of action for the next hour.

* * *

Sabrina sat with her father on the Spellman porch after dinner, watching as Salem chased after Gilly through the small cemetery. It was almost comical to watch the large hound trying to out maneuver the black cat and Sabrina shook her head as Gilly cowered when Salem hopped onto one of the headstones, hissing at the creature. _Salem_ , she called out, chastising her familiar, rolling her eyes at his piteous meow before he hopped of the stone and headed toward the house, leaving the hellhound be.

“There are things I didn’t think I would need to discuss with you for decades to come, but it seems all of the projected timelines have moved up, making everything happen much faster than I had thought they would,” her father started, breaking the silence that had comfortably flowed between them.

The clouds were in the way of the moon, obscuring her ability to read his expression. “Isn’t that a good thing? The Anti Papacy crumbling, covens no longer being under their thumb.”

“Yes. A very good thing indeed,” he agreed, but there was a sadness to his tone that she didn’t understand.

“Daddy?” she started but Edward stood, holding out a hand to her.

“Take a walk with me.”

She let him pull her up and tuck her arm into his own as they headed down the steps and into the woods. The clouds shifted above, giving some light to their journey through the darkness. Sabrina didn’t press for conversation, waiting for him to speak first. She didn’t want to deter from whatever seemed to be pressing on his mind, hopeful that she might get some answers. 

“You have always loved these woods,” he finally murmured as they headed down an all too familiar path. If they kept going in this direction she knew they would end up at the ceremonial altar.

“Woods are for witches,” Sabrina pointed out. Wasn’t that what she’d been told all of her life and why so many of their rituals happened in these woods?

“They are, but these woods have called out to you in a way they don’t quite anyone else.” She watched him look around, his gaze moving towards the tops of the trees. “I don’t think you’ve ever truly been afraid of them.”

She frowned at that, brows furrowing. “Am I supposed to be?”

“No.” He shook his head, giving her hand a squeeze. “You were born in them so in some ways they have always been part of you.”

“Are witches usually born in the middle of the woods?” Sabrina realized that she had no frame of reference for that. There wasn’t anyone younger than her in either coven and she had no idea where the others were born.

“Yours was a rather unique birth,” her father replied and Sabrina pressed her lips together, trying to reel in her own questions, but silence followed.

“Because the Dark Lord helped you have me?” Sabrina asked, not liking how her father seemed to tense at that. “How did he help you have me?”

He still didn’t answer, simply kept walking them through the woods, and Sabrina pulled away from him. She couldn’t keep everything in anymore. There were too many questions and she needed answers, even if she didn’t think she’d like them. 

“Why can I do magic without a spell?” Sabrina asked, crossing her arms as her father turned back to look at her. 

“You didn’t use the uro spell in the forest, did you?” Edward replied, raking a hand through his hair as she shook her head. “Sabrina.”

“I didn’t know what to say,” she told him, shrugging as she looked anywhere but at him. “I was scared. I knew I was supposed to use a spell. I thought maybe something was wrong with me because I’m part…”

Edward moved then, pulling her to him. “Sweetheart, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you.”

Sabrina pressed her face into his chest, holding tightly onto him. It was almost better not to see him for what she needed to ask next. “Why do I have a hellhound? Why am I bathed in hellfire with wings and a crown?”

Edward pulled back slightly, looking down at her. “You were what?”

“When Nick and I were…” She looked away, fairly certain she didn’t need to expand on what her and Nick were doing. “He said I had fiery blue wings and a crown. Daddy what’s going on?”

Edward let out a long sigh and headed over toward one of the fallen trees that served as seating near the altar. He motioned for her to follow him. “Have I ever told you about the first time I met the Dark Lord?” he glanced over at her, waiting for the slight shake of her head before continuing. “I was twenty-five years old. Your aunties weren’t even born yet and I’d only met Nathaniel a handful of years beforehand.” 

He stared out at the forest and Sabrina frowned at the weight that seemed to settle on her father’s shoulders. “Most witches and warlocks never quite catch a glimpse of him. It’s exceedingly rare for someone outside of any high position in a coven to ever speak to him. But I had been accomplishing spells and rituals that others hundreds of years older than I was struggled to manage, usually succumbing to the strain of power needed to be successful with them. Where others stumbled, I surged forward seeking out more and more and I suppose he liked the initiative that he saw in me.”

“You are pretty passionate about your magic,” Sabrina murmured, smiling softly as her father snorted at that. 

“I believe your Aunt Zelda would call me foolish,” Edward pointed out, nudging his daughter with his elbow to bring out a laugh from her. “I received many directives from the Dark Lord over the centuries--most tasks urging me to create the spells and rituals that I have, pushing me to expand on the possibilities we can accomplish with our magic. Earning me accolades and annoyances in equal measure.”

“Aunt Zee says you liked the attention,” Sabrina pointed out, unsurprised when her father let out a sigh. 

“Your aunt doesn’t always see all the pieces of the puzzle,” he started, frowning as Sabrina snorted, the look she directed his way entirely too reminiscent of his sister. 

“Maybe because you don’t always share them,” Sabrina murmured as she looked out at the forest around them. 

“Nathaniel and I had been having discussions about the Anti Papacy’s policies and our disagreements with them for centuries before I started considering a different path for the Church of Night,” Edward continued, knowing there wasn’t much he could say about what she’d pointed out. “I wasn't a High Priest yet and neither was he, but it wasn’t long before either of us got those positions in our covens.”

“And then the Dark Lord let you go your own way?” Sabrina asked, watching as he nodded.

“It was a little more complicated than that, but yes,” Edward told her before letting out another sigh. "Victoria was seeking out the different covens, establishing relationships with each of them while Nathaniel and I continued on our own work, building up our abilities, becoming invaluable to the Anti Papacy."

"They never suspected anything?" She'd been told her father's ideas about relationships with mortals had always been looked down on by others, that he'd received a lot of backlash for beliefs.

"They were far more interested in my ability to train warlocks and witches, getting them to far surpass the usual markers for power, than my belief that mortals were not our enemy." He nodded in the direction of the Academy. "Witches and warlocks from around the world used to attend our academy."

"Why did that stop?" 

"I met your mother." There was a sadness to his smile that always seemed to be there when he spoke of her. "And Nathaniel and I knew it was time to go to the Dark Lord with our proposal."

"And he accepted." Otherwise the rest would never have happened. "But daddy, what does any of this have to do with him helping you have me?" 

He reached over, taking hold of Sabrina’s hands. “Your mother was desperate for a child. We both were. Once the others were pregnant and children started being born in both covens her desire to have you was even stronger.”

“But she was barren,” Sabrina murmured, remembering Zelda telling her that.

“Yes,” Edward nodded. “And while that could make matters more difficult, it was an easy enough fix. A thirteen month pregnancy on her mortal body was another matter entirely though. Witches have fixed barren wombs for centuries but it's always a mortal carrying a mortal’s child or a witch carrying a witch child. There was no guarantee she would survive or that a child would because of the extra strain that four more months of pregnancy would have on her body.”

“So you went to the Dark Lord to ask for help?” Sabrina watched him carefully as he nodded again at that. “Because he’d helped you before?” 

“When it suited him, yes. I thought he could give your mother the strength she’d need to do so. Or if she could maybe become a witch somehow so her body could handle it.” He reached over, brushing at Sabrina’s hair. “Such simple asks, but none of those came to fruition.”

“But he did help?” Sabrina asked, not liking how her father closed his eyes as he nodded. 

“Yes, he had a solution that could ensure your mother had a healthy child in the end, for you to be born,” Edward took hold of her hands again, swallowing as he looked at her. “It would be a celestial child. His child. Not half anything but a third of each of us.”

“What?” Sabrina tried to pull her hands away, the words not quite making sense in her head. “A third of...what?”

“Part witch, part mortal, and part celestial,” Edward tried again as she managed to pull away, rising with her. 

“Daddy that doesn't even make sense.” She ran her fingers through her hair. No child could be made up of thirds. And yet...it made sense as well. The things she could do, the power she’d always had, _Gilly_. Sabrina saw no deception in her father’s expression when she looked back at him, only concern and love. 

“Why would he do that?” Sabrina asked, trying to wrap her head around all of it. 

Edward cautiously stepped toward her again, taking her hands in his. “I thought...I had been loyal. I was bringing forth a new age for witchkind to embrace the Dark Lord and Lilith in ways that would benefit them both greatly. I thought he saw helping us have you was a fitting gift.”

“He wasn’t?” she asked, knowing the answer to that before her father answered by the way his brows furrowed.

“In a way,” Edward started before shaking his head. “He had his own plans. For this coven, for my ideas. For you.” Ones that he hadn’t truly understood until it was far too late.

“What does that mean?” Sabrina asked as he brushed at her hair again.

“The Anti Papacy will fall, their ways obsolete in what the Dark Lord and Lilith wish to usher forward now,” her father replied and she didn’t like the sorrow she saw in his eyes. Wasn’t that what he’d always wanted? “And in their place a new way will be created.”

“The one you’re creating?” she murmured, squeezing his hand.

“The one the Daughter of the Morningstar will usher into being,” a voice came from behind them and Sabrina felt and saw her father stiffen at the voice. 

“Lilith,” Edward muttered, lips pulling into a forced smile. “Your presence isn’t needed here.”

“I’m afraid it is, Edward. The timelines have needed to be moved up and our little princess here needs to be filled in on a number of matters,” Lilith replied. 

Sabrina dug her nails into her palms, not liking the words that were being used. Timelines. Princess. She didn’t want any of this, didn’t want to hear anything that the two were saying. 

“I can fill my daughter in on everything just fine, Lilith,” Edward told the demoness and Sabrina looked over at him again, not liking how hardened his features had become.

“And yet she knows next to nothing,” the demoness pointed out.

“Because it wasn’t necessary for at least sixty more years,” her father bit out and Sabrina stared at him. He had been planning to hide all of this from her for that much longer?

She didn’t care about anything else either of them had to say, shaking her head as she heard Lilith start on something else, and whispered a quick _lanuae magicae_ , needing to get away from the situation and everything she’d learned. 

“Sabrina?” 

She turned at Nick’s voice, collapsing toward the ground as she started to sob. He caught her before she hit the floor, stumbling down against it instead as he held onto her. “Spellman?” he tried again but she shook her head, burying her face against his neck as she continued to cry, not at all ready to talk about anything just yet. 

“I’ve got you,” Nick murmured, tightening his grip around her. “I’ve got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be some difficult but very needed conversations in the next chapter between Sabrina & Nick and various others, including Nathaniel, Edward and Lilith. I almost included some of them in this one but it was already over 9k so it seemed best to split it up.
> 
> Thanks for sticking around with this monstrosity.


	21. beautiful undone

It took awhile, but eventually her sobbing turned into a soft trembling against him, her grip never quite loosening. Nick wracked his brain, trying to figure out what could have happened to send her into such a state. He knew she was going to spend some time with her father after dinner, but he couldn’t think of anything that Edward might have done or said that would lead to her teleporting to him and sobbing the way she had been. 

Nick threaded his fingers through her hair, lips pressing to her head as she let out another hiccup. That coupled with her sniffling tugged at his heart and he wrapped his arms a little tighter around her. The silence couldn’t last forever though and he had a feeling Sabrina would let it stretch out between them for hours if he let her. 

“Sabrina?” he started, tilting her head up so she was looking at him.

Nick didn’t like the fear he saw in her eyes as she pulled back a little, clutching at his hands. 

“Let’s just go,” Sabrina started, nodding her head as she spoke.

“What?” That definitely hadn’t been what Nick expected her to say.

“We’ll take Amalia and Salem and we can just go,” Sabrina continued as she stood, looking around his room before turning back to him. “Anywhere that you want.”

Nick rose as well. “Sabrina.”

She shook her head, moving back to him and placed her hands against his chest. “You don’t want to stay in Greendale forever, right?”

Hadn’t he always talked about exploring the world? About wanting to leave their small town behind for a couple of decades and seeing everything the world had to offer? She’d always thought it would happen after high school, maybe even after college--or maybe college would happen overseas. But it was okay, the timeline for that could just be pushed up.

She looked hopefully at him, wanting him to agree, but all she saw was confusion as he took hold of her hands. “Sabrina, what’s going on?” he asked, giving her hands a squeeze.

“Please, Nick, can we just go?” she pleaded, needing him to say yes.

“Babe,” he started, letting go of one of her hands so he could touch her cheek. “What about your family? Our friends? The Anti Papacy is out there wanting all of us dead.” 

He didn’t like the way she started shaking at that again, lips trembling and he pulled her back to him, wrapping her in a hug as she clung to him. “I,” she started but couldn’t seem to get anything else out.

The air shifted in the room and Sabrina froze as she heard her father saying her name, followed by the other voice she hadn’t ever wanted to hear again. 

“I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by the theatrics,” Lilith commented and Sabrina closed her eyes, willing the demoness to stop talking. “After all your father can be overly dramatic as well on occasion.”

“He’s not my father,” Sabrina muttered, fingers wrapping tightly in Nick’s shirt as she considered teleporting the two of them away. Their familiars could find them anywhere in the world. Maybe she could put up some sort of cloaking spell around them to hide them from anyone else.

“You’ll find that you won’t be able to leave this room until I undo the barrier, little light,” Lilith continued as she looked around the room, smacking her lips as she felt the girl try to teleport them. 

“Don’t call me that,” Sabrina snapped. She didn’t want any form of endearments or nicknames coming from Lilith’s mouth. 

“Sweetheart,” Edward started but Sabrina shook her head, holding on tighter to Nick.

“I don’t want to talk to you either,” she murmured, pressing her face into Nick’s chest as her father sighed.

“I have no idea what is going on,” Nick started as the lights in his room flickered. He wasn’t sure if that was because of Sabrina or him at that point. He looked between the two, not quite sure who the woman was that stood beside Edward, but he could feel the power coming off of her. It was undeniable, the scent of brimstone hanging in the air like it did around Gilly. 

His brow furrowed as he considered who she might be before he shook his head. That didn’t matter. All that did was the girl in his arms, holding onto him tightly. “But if Sabrina doesn’t want to talk to you then you need to leave,” he continued, nodding toward the door. 

Lilith snapped her fingers, sending his desk chair skidding across the room. She sat down on it and rested her hands on top of her knees. “I’m afraid I can’t agree to those terms, Nicholas,” she replied, and he swallowed as she turned her gaze to him. It was like looking into pure darkness and he had to blink, grip tightening on Sabrina. “The princess and I need to have a chat.”

Princess? 

Nick looked over at Edward, watching as the warlock he’d looked up to as long as he’d known him sighed heavily. He looked far older in that moment than he had earlier in the day. Sabrina dug her nails into Nick’s shirt, desperate to hold onto him as she clenched her eyes shut, trying to blot out what was being said.

“We can either have that here with the two of them present, Sabrina,” Lilith continued as she leaned back against the chair. “Or I can take us to Hell and we can have it there.”

“You are not taking my daughter to Hell, Lilith,” Edward snapped, glaring at the demoness who simply waved off his opinion.

Sabrina finally did turn at that, her glare echoing her father’s as she looked at the demoness. Lilith stared back at her, expression emotionless. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” 

The room shook with the ferocity in her voice, toppling the items that had been on top of Nick’s bookshelf and causing several picture frames to fall over. The candles blew out, plummeting the room into darkness and Sabrina tried to yank at the magic Lilith had doled out around the room that was keeping her locked in it. She yanked at the threads of it, trying to undo them so she could leave with Nick, the house continuing to shake around them.

Lilith snapped her fingers, causing the lights to turn back on and the shaking to cease. She tsked at Sabrina before resting her hands on her lap again. Nick kept his hands on Sabrina’s waist, not quite ready for her to be too far from him and it seemed she felt the same as she tugged hold of one of his arms, guiding it to wrap around her. 

“Then we’ll talk here,” Lilith replied, motioning for everyone to sit down. None of them moved to do so. 

“Nicholas!” The panic in his father’s voice startled Nick as he glanced over at his bedroom door, hearing his father try the handle before magic slammed against it as he tried to gain entry. 

Lilith sighed at that, waving her hand, and Nathaniel appeared on the other side of the door, staggering as if he was about to slam into the door again. He righted himself, looking around at everyone in the room. His expression darkened as he spotted Lilith. He glanced over at Edward, watching his friend shake his head before looking over at his son and Sabrina again. They seemed frazzled but unharmed. 

“As I was saying,” Lilith continued, looking pointedly around at everyone. “Have a seat. This might go on for awhile.” She shrugged when they still didn’t bother to do so. “Or stand. Your comfort matters little to me.”

Nick glanced over at his father again, watching him exchange a meaningful look with Edward. The two of them obviously knew why the Mother of Demons was there but he couldn’t quite figure out if they had been expecting her presence or not. He reeled back to the other pieces of the conversation, putting together the bits of it and trying to make sense of Sabrina wanting to leave everything behind. Lilith had called her ‘princess’, reminding him of the crown of hellfire he’d seen above her head. 

“As I had been saying in the forest, the daughter of the Morningstar will be the one to usher this new way of existence for witchkind,” Lilith started and Nick pressed Sabrina back against him, feeling her tense up at the name.

“Don’t call me that,” Sabrina hissed, tightening her grip on Nick’s arm. At least he hadn’t pulled away from her.

Lilith tilted her head. “It’s what you are.”

“My name is Sabrina,” she replied, raising her chin. “ _Sabrina Spellman_. Use it or don’t refer to me.”

Lilith rose at that, the darkness that seemed to permeate her entire being becoming more pronounced. It was as if her shadow devoured everything in its path, blotting it out from existence until it passed by the object. “You are Sabrina Morningstar, Proud Lady of Pandemonium, the Lady of Shadows, Bringer of Light and Darkness, and Princess of Hell.”

“No, I’m not,” Sabrina shook her head, refusing to acknowledge what the demoness was saying.

“Might I suggest explaining what it is you’re expecting Sabrina to do, Mother of Demons, instead of pushing at her acknowledging a part of herself she’s just learned about?” Nathaniel suggested, bowing slightly as he spoke. 

“Sabrina acknowledging who she is happens to be an integral part of the process,” Lilith reminded as she sat back down on the chair. “One can hardly expect the others to simply fall in line with a sixteen year old witch without the backing of her bloodline.”

Sabrina looked over at her father. “Which is why this wasn’t supposed to happen until she was nearly a century old,” Edward pointed out, his focus on Lilith. “There was supposed to be time to prepare her, to prepare the others for what is next.”

“Prepare the others?” Sabrina asked, brow furrowing as she looked at Nick. She’d heard that right, hadn’t she?

“You can hardly expect to usher in a new dynasty on your own, child,” Lilith replied, as she shrugged. “The old ones can be so enamored with their own ways, struggling to move forward in the name of progress. Witchkinds numbers are too small to simply cull all of those who would oppose. Though that option isn’t entirely off the table. It’s what will need to happen with those entrenched in the Anti Papacy’s ways. No great loss there.” 

She waved her hand and they watched the shadows that surrounded her shift, showcasing shadow images of the witchlings in the two covens. “Fifteen witchlings all born within five years of one another. All of them with a greater ability for magical prowess than any other born before them. Deliberately done, of course. Easy enough to grant them more power as a showing of what the other covens can expect going forward if they embrace these new ways.” The images disappeared as she rose. “A group of your peers who have already begun to see you as a leader, who have glimpsed the enormity of your power, and will see more of it with time.”

“There’s seventeen of us,” Nick pointed out, his stomach clenching as he considered that she hadn’t made a mistake, that her choice of fifteen had been deliberate.

“Sabrina isn’t one of their numbers,” Lilith replied, locking her gaze with his. “And neither are you.” She smiled as he frowned, looking over at his father thenl. “It seems Edward isn’t the only one who withheld information from his child, hmm?”

Lilith headed over to Nick and Sabrina, stopping in front of them. “It's quite simple, children. No longer will witchkind deal in matters that badly mimic the False God’s own worshippers--falling into the same follies of power plays and trivialities that see their kind slaughtered needlessly for power. As amusing as that has been to watch play out, it reduced your numbers far too greatly, creating an imbalance that can’t be ignored any longer.” 

She reached over, taking Sabrina’s chin in her hand. “You will be Hell’s reign on Earth, leading the house of Morningstar to its true glory for generations to come.”

“And if I don’t want to?” Sabrina asked, wrenching herself back from Lilith’s grip. 

Lilith smiled at her, brushing at Sabrina’s hair in a way that reminded her too much of her aunties. “Why wouldn’t you?”

She flinched away from her, not wanting the touch. “I’m _sixteen_. I still have high school to finish.” And a thousand other dreams she’d wanted to fulfill. 

Lilith laughed at that, the sound vibrating off the bedroom walls. There was an eeriness to it, the sound of it not at all human, chords not quite right, and Sabrina shivered in Nick’s arms, thankful that he held onto her a little tighter. “You are destined for far greater things than high school, little light.”

She stepped back, looking over at the older warlocks. “We’ll need to sit down and plot out the trajectory going forward. Determine how precisely you’ll handle the remainder of the Anti Papacy and dispose of that nonsense. Her coronation will be handled by the Dark Lord. Then we’ll need to have a ceremony to showcase her to the rest of the covens and let them know their acceptance of these new rules is nonnegotiable. Failure to submit will result in immediate removal of all abilities and rapid aging.”

Sabrina leaned into Nick, closing her eyes as she willed the demoness to stop talking, for everything that was being said to not be true, to wake up from this insane nightmare. They were still talking though, her father and his saying something to Lilith as Sabrina turned in Nick’s arms, pressing her face to his chest as he rested his chin against her head. He drew the trinity knot along her arm and Sabrina breathed through the power that rippled through her at that, feeling his love for her intertwined with it, before she reciprocated the movement on his back.

“We’ll need to work on the two of you honing precisely what it is that you can do with your abilities now and what the other witchlings are capable of as well,” Lilith continued, bringing the two of them back to the conversation happening around them. “I believe that’s it for now. I’m sure the four of you have quite a bit to discuss. I’ll be in touch.”

Sabrina felt the barriers keeping her locked in the house disappear as soon as Lilith left. “Sweetheart,” her father started but she shook her head.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, looking over at him as she stepped away from Nick, her anger rising again.

“We were supposed to have one hundred years, Sabrina,” Edward sighed, stepping toward her but stopped when she stepped back. “The plan was to inform you of various pieces along the way once you turned twenty. The Anti Papacy’s actions pushed up the timeline a significant amount. And they’re still a threat until they've been completely dismantled.”

“Do the aunties know? Does Ambrose?” Because she didn’t think they knew any of this. At least not Ambrose. Her cousin wouldn’t have been able to hide any of this from her.

“No.”

“Did mom?” she murmured as Nick reached for her hand. 

“I didn’t learn some of it until after you were born, Sabrina,” Edward replied, and her lower lip trembled at that. “We need to--”

“No,” she interrupted, shaking her head before looking over at him. “You need to go explain it to them. All of it.” 

“Sabrina,” he started again, stepping over toward her but she stepped in closer to Nick, grateful when he put up a barrier around the two of them. 

“I don’t want to talk to you right now,” Sabrina murmured, stepping back into Nick’s embrace.

“I’ll talk to you in the morning, father,” Nick added, glancing over at Nathaniel who nodded at that. “I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful story to tell about what Lilith meant by then.”

“Sabrina,” Edward tried again, sighing when she shook her head. “I’ll see you in the morning as well then?”

“After you talk to the aunties and Ambrose,” she replied, sniffling when she heard him teleport away and Nathaniel exit the room through the door. “I don’t…”

He ran his hand through her hair, pressing another kiss to the top of her head. “Let’s just lay down for a bit?” he suggested. Then they could try to process everything that had been said before adding any further questions and comments into the mess. He led her to the bed as soon as she nodded, curling up with her on it. 

“I love you.” Nick needed her to hear that as she rested her head against his chest.

“I love you too,” Sabrina murmured, grateful for his presence as she closed her eyes, letting the soft rise and fall of his chest help calm her tumultuous thoughts.

* * *

Moonlight streamed into his room, scattering shadows along the walls as Nick continued to thread his fingers through Sabrina’s hair. Neither of them had spoken, but sleep seemed far off as well, something neither of them could quite grab hold of just yet. He was hesitant to speak, not quite wanting to break up the silence that had filled the room, but there were questions he needed answers to. If she pulled back too much then he’d hold back, but he figured a little push to talk wouldn’t be too out of place.

“Daughter of the Morningstar?” Nick murmured, keeping up his movement through her hair. He felt her tense slightly before letting out a breath and relaxing back against him.

“I don’t even know how it works really, but it has to do with how he helped my parents have me,” she replied, her voice coming out barely above a whisper. “Somehow. I’m his and theirs and I don’t…it doesn’t make sense and yet it does.” It answered how she was able to do what she could, maybe even why her power seemed to have unlocked inside of her instead of being pushed into her like the others had always described. 

Nick didn’t reply, feeling her take another breath as she hesitated from continuing, waiting to give her the space she needed to speak. “I don’t want to rule anything, Nick.” Sabrina looked up, resting her chin against his chest. “I don’t understand how you’re apparently connected either.”

He brushed his finger down her nose as she scrunched it. “We’ll figure that out.” He had a feeling that those answers were going to come from the conversation he needed to have with his father.

“I can’t believe they’ve been keeping this from me, from my aunties, from the covens…” Sabrina shook her head before shifting so that she was laying beside Nick, head head on one of his pillows as he turned to look at her better. She was grateful that he kept touching her, fingers drawing up along her arm just as he’d always done, blotting out the fear that he’d pull away from her once he learned the truth she was still grappling with on her own. 

“Your dad said that your mom didn’t know everything,” Nick reminded her before he frowned. “Maybe he didn’t realize the extent of everything the Dark Lord wanted until later either?” Except… “Though...I don’t know. That doesn’t line up with some other things he said...unless he found out when you were really young. Or even before you were born but just didn’t fill her in?” There were far too many possibilities and Nick wasn’t certain they would ever get a straight answer.

“What about the others?” Sabrina reached over, tangling her hand in his shirt, needing to hold onto him. “Do we really have more power than other witches our age? I have no comparison for that.”

He didn’t answer that right away as he mentally flicked through his memories of the various covens he’d seen while traveling with his mom. “I think we do,” Nick admitted, focusing back on Sabrina. “It’s not really something I noticed much. I was always advanced and others would comment on that when I was traveling with my mom but....I think we all are.” He’d never met anyone other group of three as young as the Weird Sisters were or seen others accomplish the same magnitude of spells that the witchlings had managed to learn in such a short time. 

“I never met many who were our age,” Nick added, shifting his hand up to her cheek. “Everyone was at least a half century older, most a century.” But none of them had managed the fetes he had with conjuring or binding. He remembered quite a few of the elders in the other covens being startled by his necromancy abilities as well. Mostly he remembered his mother’s look of pride as she watched him showcase his abilities to the others. 

“I had dreams to eventually become High Priestess,” Sabrina murmured and Nick smiled at that. “But it wasn’t supposed to be for like two hundred, maybe three hundred years?” 

Nick watched her push herself up until she was sitting and he shifted on the pillows, waiting to see the variety of emotions play out on her face as she moved from her current melancholy to annoyance to the fierce anger that he’d been waiting to see start brewing inside of her. She looked back at him, lips pressed together as her eyes narrowed with a look of determination that reminded him immediately of her Aunt Zelda.

“I want to finish high school. I want to explore the world,” Sabrina told him and he nodded along with that as she reached over, taking his hand in hers. “And I’m going to do it all.”

He simply arched a brow, waiting for her to finish speaking.

“They don’t get to decide my life,” Sabrina continued and he tugged her back down beside him.

“Not unless you let them,” he agreed, grinning as she furrowed her brow.

“They don’t get to decide mine,” she reiterated before reaching over and tapping his chest. “Or yours. And none of the witchlings either.”

Sabrina pushed at him until he was laying flat on his back while she moved to straddle him. “I don’t care what their plans are,” she told him as he settled his hands on her hips. She leaned forward, pressing her chest against his. “We make our own plans.” 

Nick slid his hands up her back, enjoying the way she trembled slightly at his touch before he plucked the headband from her hair. “Wherever you go I’ll follow,” he told her, fingers moving to brush against her cheek, smiling at the love he spotted in her gaze before Sabrina leaned in to nip at his lower lip. That brought out a moan from him before he tangled his hands in her hair, needing to hold onto her as he kissed her, pouring everything he had into that touch. 

Sabrina was pulling away though, hands pressed to his chest even as he tried to chase after her mouth, to tug her back. “She said we needed to hone what it is that we can do together.”

Nick dropped back against the bed, nodding at that as he looked up at Sabrina. She pursed her lips, fingers tapping against his chest as she looked off into the distance. “And our connection seems to be...strongest--” She wrinkled her nose, not quite sure that was the right word, but supposed it worked. “--when we’re...being intimate.”

Nick arched a brow, sliding his hands down to her ass and pulling her more firmly against him. She sucked in a breath at that before narrowing her eyes at him. “Well it _does!_ ” 

He smirked up at her, enjoying the way she dug her nails into his chest briefly before she frowned, looking down at him as she bit her lip. “I’m not sure how we go forward with that,” Sabrina admitted and Nick reached up, running his fingers through her hair, taking in her vulnerability in that moment.

“Remember that book your father gave us after we told them what we could do?” Nick asked, before waving his hand. One of the books flew over from his shelf and Sabrina pressed her lips together as she spotted the title--’Rites of Lilith’. “We forgot about it after bringing Gilly here. Maybe there’s a few things in here that we can do.”

He caught it, handing it over to her. Sabrina laid it out on his chest. He slid his hands up to her waist again, slipping his hand under her shirt to slide along her bareback as he watched her flip through the book. He’d given it a cuserary glance the other day when he’d spotted it again, but had pushed it’s contents to the back of his mind with everything that had happened. Her sharp intake of breath, eyes widening as she bit her lip, flipping more hurriedly through the book had him sliding his hands around to her stomach. He wound a lazy path up her abdomen, skirting his fingers along the underside of her bra as she closed the book. 

Nick arched a brow as she locked her gaze with his, enjoying the rawness that he saw there. “These are all…” Sabrina swallowed before licking her lips. “Sex rituals.”

He nodded, hands moving to her back again. “My father gave us a book of sex rituals.” She was still trying to wrap her head around that even as she let out a moan. 

“Ancient ones that were apparently created by Lilith,” Nick told her. At least that was what the first few pages in it claimed. He hadn’t known what to make of that the other day but he had a feeling that claim was true now. 

Nick shifted the two of them so that they were both sitting up as he took in her confusion, feeling her tensing up under his hands. “Just because we were given it doesn’t mean we have to do any of them,” he told her as he took hold of her hands, giving them a squeeze. “We decide our own fate, remember?”

Sabrina nodded, squeezing back before she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, tucking herself against his body again. Nick rested his chin on her head, feeling her relax again. She didn’t want to do any of the rituals in the book, didn’t want to tie themselves to whatever ritual that her father seemed to expect them to partake in. One that she thought Lilith might have provided him. 

“What if we made our own?” she murmured after a moment, shifting a little so she could look at him. 

He arched a brow, letting the idea whirl around his brain for a second, before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her nose. “I think if anyone can manage that, it's us.”

Sabrina grinned at that, pleased that they were on the same page, before pursing her lips. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Nick asked, watching her furrow her brow as well. 

“You’ve done sex magic before, right?” Sabrina focused back on him.

Nick nodded, searching her expression for how she felt about that. There was curiosity in her gaze as she pressed her lips together before tilting her head. “What makes it different than just...well, sex?” 

“Usually I’d say the exchange of power,” Nick replied, but the two of them had managed that already. “There’s an intention behind what you’re doing, you’re wanting to manifest something, to pay homage to a deity or gain something from the offering that you’re giving.”

“Does there have to be an audience?” Sabrina wrinkled her nose at the idea, but she knew some of the others had talked about that during study hall.

Nick shook his head. “Only in certain instances when it's part of the ritual. Usually then you’re gaining energies from the others participating.”

“I’d rather ours not do that,” Sabrina told him and Nick smiled softly at her. 

“Then it won’t,” he assured her and Sabrina seemed to relax again at that, resting her head again.

Nick threaded his fingers through her hair before he moved to get up. “We should try to sleep though. We’re going to want to be well rested to deal with the bullshit they’re going to throw at us tomorrow.”

“Can I borrow a shirt to sleep in?” Sabrina asked as he helped tug her up to her feet. “And do you have a toothbrush I can use?”

Nick swallowed as he thought of her in nothing but one of his shirts as she slipped out of his grip and headed toward his bathroom door. “The right drawer should have an extra toothbrush and I’ll get that shirt for you.”

Sabrina’s answering smile was soft before she ducked into the bathroom. Nick headed over to his dresser, pulling out one of his undershirts for her to use. He handed it off to her, grinning as she stood in front of his bathroom mirror, brushing his teeth. It was such a normal thing to witness after all of the insanity of the last few days, and especially after the craziness of the last hour or so. 

He closed the door, leaving her to get ready as he turned back into his room, finding their familiars on his bed and the hellhound circling around on the floor beside it to rest as well. Nick shook his head, knowing that this was going to become their new normal as Gilly curled up on the floor before Salem let out a hiss at the creature. Sabrina’s familiar bounded up the bed after that and settled down on a pillow at the top of the bed. Amalia let out a snort as she took up her usual spot at the foot of his bed. 

Nick stripped down to his boxers, tossing the rest into his basket before he righted one of the framed photos that had toppled over. It showcased an eight year old him and a six year old Sabrina with his mother, smiling at whoever had taken the photo while tarot cards were placed on the table around them. He didn’t quite remember that moment, the memory not as clear as it had been when he was younger, but the love and happiness that shined through with their smiles was still present. 

His gaze shifted to the bookcase, spotting the infernal texts that he’d been gifted slightly before that picture had been taken. Why hadn’t his mother told his father about them? Why hadn’t he ever brought them up to the man either? Nick shook his head as he heard the bathroom door open, turning to spot Sabrina heading out of it, dressed only his shirt, her clothes folded neatly in her hands. 

“It’s all yours now,” she told him, gaze raking over his body before she turned away and put her clothes down on the bedside table.

Nick grinned at her, pushing away his own tumultuous questions, and headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth. All he wanted to do now was curl up in his bed with her and help Sabrina and himself forget the last few hours. They could deal with all of the bullshit that had been sprung on them tomorrow.

* * *

Nick didn’t bother to touch the plate of eggs and bacon that his father had prepared for them. He sat at the dining table, arms folded as he waited for the man to start talking. “Hilda called earlier and wants to know when to expect you at home,” Nathaniel stated, looking over at Sabrina who sat beside Nick. 

She had at least cut into her eggs, though she hadn’t bothered taking a bite yet. “I guess that depends on if my father has told them the truth or not yet.”

“Considering the yelling I heard in the background, I’d say at least some of it has been revealed,” the older warlock replied before setting his knife and fork down. 

“You knew the truth about Sabrina’s parentage, didn’t you?” Nick asked, reaching under the table to take hold of her hand and give it a squeeze, though his gaze stayed on his father. 

Nathaniel nodded. “Yes. Your mother and I both did.”

“Did anyone else in the coven know?” Sabrina didn’t think so but she needed an answer to that.

“No.” Nathaniel rose and headed over to the liquor cabinet and retrieved a bottle of scotch and a glass. He turned toward the two, looking to see if they wanted a glass as well, but they shook their heads. “The plan was to begin to let them know around your fiftieth year. By then you would have known the truth and have met with the Dark Lord and Lilith. The witchlings would have been informed earlier, I believe around your fortieth so they could begin training for their roles going forward.”

“How wonderful that you all had our lives planned out for us,” Sabrina grumbled as he made his way back to his seat.

“Is that not a parent’s job?” Nathaniel reasoned as he poured himself a glass. “To sculpt out a path for their child that is far better than their own ever was?”

Neither of them answered him, not in the mood for such a debate. “What did Lilith mean about me not being one of the witchlings?” Nick asked instead, moving the conversation in the direction that he needed. 

“I’ve been trying to wrap my head around that for nearly sixteen years,” Nathaniel replied before taking a drink. “The Scratches have always been loyal to the Dark Lord. You both know Old Scratch is a moniker of the devil. By giving you the name Nicholas we were told you would be even more gifted than the others, that you would have a special place in the plans going forward.” 

He poured himself some more scotch, letting it swirl around the glass before he looked at them. “Once we knew what the plans were for Sabrina I thought you might be something akin to her knight. One who was supposed to protect her as you’ve done since you were young. Maybe that was what it was supposed to be at first. One who would be loyal to her above all others.”

He rose again and headed back to the cabinet. Nick watched though as his father lifted one of the bottles and a small drawer he’d never noticed before opened up in it. His father retrieved a small book from it, one Nick recognized immediately. It was the one his mother had always kept on her. 

“But your mother saw the love blossoming between the two of you through the years and thought plans had shifted, that you weren’t simply meant to be her protector--if that was ever the case,” Nathaniel continued as he opened it up and set the book down between them. “She drew this before her death.”

It was a picture of Nick, but not the twelve year old that he’d been when his mother had died, but an image of how he looked now at nearly eighteen. One that had him with a crown of hellfire on his head as well.

“A dynasty can hardly be created with only one member,” Nathaniel added as he sat back down and finished off his glass of scotch. “Our two families have always been powerful in the witch world. Sought after for a variety of positions of power, with our members pushing the boundaries of magic throughout every generation, tying back to our ancient bloodlines.”

“But Nick was born before me,” Sabrina pointed out. “They would have needed to have this idea in place before I was ever born.”

“Do you think the Dark Lord only thought of the idea of his Hellish Dynasty on Earth when your father asked him for help to have you, Sabrina?” Nathaniel asked, the bottle lifting to pour more scotch. “That he didn’t have a hand in placing your mother in your father’s trajectory, in their falling in love and needing his help in order to carry out plans he’s been working to unfold for centuries?”

Nick’s grip on her hand tightened, the enormity of the situation settling on their shoulders as Nathaniel lifted his glass, almost as if to salute them. “We were all expertly played.” He turned his attention back to his son. “You said you were given infernal texts?”

“The Dark Lord brought them to me,” Nick replied, brows furrowing as he tried to remember that moment. “I remember he talked briefly to mom but I don’t remember their conversation.” He hadn’t been paying attention to them, wanting to devour the books instead.

“What books are they?” Perhaps there could be some answers in them.

“One was about Hell itself and the different circles and how they were all formed,” Nick replied, thinking of the books up on his shelf. “Another on the different hierarchies of the princes, kings, and lords. It’s about how they’re all interconnected, what they owe the Dark Lord and any of their weaknesses.” 

They were both handwritten. 

“Rather useful information for running your own court someday and dealing with the infernal hierarchies,” Nathaniel pointed out as he set down his glass, sighing. 

Sabrina opened her mouth to reply to that, quickly shutting it as her arm itched. She pulled at her sleeve, spotting her Aunt Zelda’s handwriting demanding her return home. Nick spotted it as well and rose. “We may have more questions later,” he told his father as Sabrina stood.

Nathaniel nodded, his gaze fixed on his scotch as Dionne entered the room and headed over to the warlock. “I’ll be here.”

Nick picked up his mother’s book and then took hold of Sabrina’s hand as the two headed out of the dining room. They headed to the front closet, retrieving coats and he slipped the book into his pocket, intent on looking through it later. 

“What do you think?” Sabrina asked as she buttoned up her jacket. 

“It's true that our families are pretty powerful,” Nick started, lips pulling into a frown. “But so are a lot of other witch families. So why were ours chosen?”

“Did…” Sabrina couldn’t quite look at him as she took a breath, dread filling her. “Did they make us fall in love?”

Nick blinked at that. He moved quickly to cup her cheeks in his hands and tilt her head so she was looking at him. “No.” 

“But,” she started again and he shook his head before leaning his forehead against hers. 

“If there’s one thing I do know among all of this insanity, Sabrina,” Nick told her, brushing her hair back. “It’s that I love you. That’s the only thing that’s true.”

She hugged him hard then, pressing her face into his jacket as he wrapped his arms around her. “I love you too.” 

They didn’t get to take that from her. They wouldn’t let them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be one chapter but I split it because it was getting to be realllly long. So we'll have more of an explanation from Edward to the whole family in the next chapter.
> 
> And then Sabrina is going to go do something incredibly reckless. As she does. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	22. gods and monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING: There is temporary character death in this chapter. Think like the Missionaries episode in Part 2. Not like the horrendousness of Part 4.**

Ambrose was waiting for the two of them on the steps of the mortuary, hands stuffed in his pockets of his robe and the little owl perched on his shoulder. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the aunties this livid with Uncle Edward before,” he told Sabrina before pulling her into a tight hug. 

“I’m not all that happy with my dad either,” Sabrina grumbled, squeezing him back as the house shook under the fury of her aunts’ anger. 

“Can’t blame you on that one, cousin.” Ambrose started as he released his hold on her. “Though I think we’re all looking at this the wrong way.”

“How are we supposed to be seeing him lying to all of us for my whole life?” Sabrina asked, crossing her arms as Nick dropped down onto the chair. None of them were ready to head inside just yet and deal with the fury that exuded from it.

“I’m just saying, there could be some perks,” Ambrose continued, holding up a hand and starting to tick off his fingers. “You’ve already gotten a hellhound and infernal texts, a ridiculous amount of power as well. Think of the other things you could broker for.”

“And all I have to do is sign my life away to the path they’ve laid out for me,” Sabrina pointed out as she moved to sit down on Nick’s lap. He wrapped his arm around her as she leaned back against him.

Ambrose leaned against the railing. “From what Uncle Edward is saying you’re meant to be Queen.”

“I don’t even want to be homecoming queen,” Sabrina muttered, nose scrunching as she looked over at her cousin. “Let alone in charge of all of witchkind.”

“You didn’t seem to be against eventually becoming High Priestess of our coven,” Ambrose reminded as Desdemona headed off into the sky, leaving them to their discussion.

“In like two hundred years. Not...whatever the timeline seems to be now.” Not before she’d had a chance to explore the world and live her life as she saw fit. 

“Which makes me wonder, if this was set out to you as an eventuality, that it was the path you’d be heading toward while still being allowed to live out all of those other dreams you have…” Ambrose started as he sat down beside them. “Would you still be against it?” 

Sabrina didn’t reply right away, taking in all that he’d said. Would she be against it as she was now? If the timeline had stuck to what it seemed it was supposed to and she’d learned everything in increments instead of how she had last night, would she accept the path she needed to take? 

Nick pressed a kiss to her shoulder, giving her another squeeze as she sunk back further against him. “I don’t know,” Sabrina finally replied. “I don’t even know exactly what it all means right now. I just don’t appreciate being lied to and told this is how my life is going to be now.”

Ambrose wasn’t surprised by that. His cousin had never appreciated being told what to do by anyone. “Not that we know exactly what it is yet because I stopped listening after a bit,” Sabrina murmured. It had been too much to take in when Lilith and their fathers had been discussing it in the end. 

“Maybe figure out what that is before you do your usual stubborn, heel-digging stance?” Ambrose suggested as he reached over and bopped her nose. “I think your worry and suspicions with this are spot on, but it’s always a good idea to hear all the details so you know exactly how they’re trying to manipulate you.”

“He has a point,” Nick agreed as Sabrina sighed. “I think your aunts are more likely to ask some questions we’re not even going to think of at this point too.”

“Yes, the aunties want all of the details,” Ambrose nodded. “Though they were holding off on asking too many questions until you got a chance to hear the answers as well. I think they’ve enjoyed lambasting him for being a liar and hiding truths from them that affect the entire family and could have put you in danger.”

“He said he was going to start telling me when I turned twenty.” She frowned as she replayed those words in her head. “That he was supposed to have one hundred years.” And then what? Was she supposed to have happily accepted whatever path he had apparently created for her? That the Dark Lord had put into motion? 

“I’m not sure when it would have been better to reveal this particular information,” Ambrose conceded, rubbing at his chin. “Perhaps from the beginning...though that begs the question if he knew all of the details of the Dark Lord’s plan from the start or not.”

“We’re only going to get the answer to that if we ask him,” Nick reminded, giving Sabrina another squeeze when she dropped her head back against his shoulder. 

“I guess we should head inside then.” Staying outside definitely wasn’t going to lead them anywhere. 

“We’ve got your back, cousin,” Ambrose assured her as he rose, holding out his hands for the two of them. “And I am not just saying that so that I can earn a cushy position in this new dynasty you’re going to bring about.”

Sabrina stuck her tongue out at him as she let him pull her up and into a hug while Nick snorted. They headed into the mortuary together, finding the aunties and her father in the middle of a heated discussion in the living room. The mortuary shook again with the ferocity of Zelda’s voice and Edward pinched his nose, clearly irritated with the discussion. Even Hilda was glaring at her brother but her expression softened considerably when she spotted the other three. She made her way around the couch and over to them, pulling Sabrina into a hug. 

“I can only imagine the questions whirling about your head,” Hilda murmured as Sabrina hugged her back. It was a little hard to breathe with how tightly her aunt was hugging her, but she didn’t mind too much, welcoming the comforting embrace.

“Regrettably we have no answers because we’ve been in the dark as much as you have,” Zelda added as she motioned for the others to sit. “Apparently we were unworthy of the truth.”

“Zelda,” Edward started before letting out a sigh.

“What other reason could there be for you keeping this from us and putting all of our lives in danger?” his sister demanded, arching a brow at him.

“None of your lives were in danger. If anything everyone in this house has been protected tenfold in the last sixteen years,” he pointed out, looking around at the group as they sat down.

“Tell that to Diana,” Zelda replied, chin raised as she watched him flinch, proud of the blow she’d managed to inflict in that moment. 

“Zelda,” Hilda snapped, shaking her head at that as she took in the hurt that flashed in her brother’s gaze, but she didn’t move from her spot on the couch. 

“I see no need to treat him with kid’s gloves, Hildeguard,” Zelda replied as she finally sat down, never taking her gaze off of her brother. “Doing so as long as we have brought this upon us.”

“One would think you’d be ecstatic for such a blessing to be bestowed on our family,” Edward started as he moved to the fireplace. “You’ve always been the most devout to the Dark Lord and his ways.”

Zelda shrugged and flicked a hand, sending her pack of cigarettes across the room and into her hand. “I will not apologize for enjoying the power I’ve been given. But I am not the one who’s pulled the wool over this family’s eyes time and time again.” She held up a hand as he opened his mouth to speak, nodding toward Sabrina before focusing on her niece. “But that’s neither here nor there. What does matter is Sabrina and I think you’d like answers as well, hmm?”

Sabrina nodded at that, pleased when her aunt nodded again before looking back at her father. “So I suggest you start providing them, Edward,” Zelda continued before lighting her cigarette. “Or I will not hesitate to rip them out of you now.” She motioned for Sabrina to start asking what she wished. 

“When did you learn the Dark Lord’s plans for me?” Sabrina settled on, resting her hands against her knees as she looked at her father.

“Not until your mother was eight months pregnant.” He looked back at her then, his face shadowed a bit from the flames dancing in the fireplace. “I had my suspicions that there was something else at play earlier than that but it was confirmed around then.”

“How?” Zelda persisted before taking another drag.

“Diana was having dreams. I thought the Anti Papacy had managed a way inside of the barriers, through dreams somehow to hurt her and Sabrina,” he replied and she nodded at that, remembering Diana’s restless sleep. “Victoria was looking into it. She had given Diana some potions to help her with the symptoms she was experiencing.”

“It wasn’t the Anti Papacy?” Hilda asked, looking over at her sister. Wasn’t that who they had been told had been doing it?

Edward shook his head. “No.”

“Then who?” Zelda pursed her lips, eyeing her brother carefully.

He didn’t reply for a moment as he headed over to sit down on the empty couch. “Angels.”

All of their eyes seemed to widen at once at that revelation, Hilda pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle her gasp. “From what Nathaniel and I gathered they didn’t take notice of Sabrina because of the protections in place at first. But Sabrina’s presence was too great of an anomaly in the world and eventually they felt her.”

“But why would they care if I was born or not?” Sabrina asked, grateful that Nick reached over to rub at her back.

“You already know that they hunt our kind when they can,” her father replied, turning his focus to her. “We’re a stain on the False Gods beliefs and teachings. But you, my little witch, you’re something they never thought possible. It would have been one thing for you to be part mortal and part witch. They still wouldn’t have liked your birth but the fact that you’re part celestial as well set off plenty of red flags for them.”

“The Dark Lord doesn’t have any children,” Zelda murmured, wheels turning in her head. “Not of his blood. Even the demons aren’t exactly his creations, they’re Lilith’s children or other beings that have fallen.”

“So the angels wanted me dead?” Sabrina blinked, leaning back against Nick.

“Yes.” Her father nodded and she furrowed her brow at that.

“But instead all they did was weaken mom to the point she couldn’t survive,” Sabrina breathed out, unable to shake the guilt that seemed to want to wrap itself tightly around her.

“She could have sacrificed your life for her own,” Edward replied as he leaned moved from his spot to kneel in front of his daughter, taking her hands in his. “I think they thought that she would. Then she could have lived and had another child but she wanted you to live, needed you to do so.”

“Why?” Why was it so important that she lived? Because of some path that seemed to have been set out for her?

“Sabrina,” Edward squeezed her hands. “She felt you growing inside of her day in and day out for months on end. She sang to you, painted your nursery, read to you, dreamed of a thousand different things she wanted to do with you.”

“That she never got to do,” Sabrina reminded him, pulling her hands away. 

“No, she didn’t,” Hilda piped up from behind them. “But we tried to do them with you, to make sure she was always a part of your life.”

“Even when they were ridiculous ideas,” Zelda muttered, flicking ash into the tray. “The number of times I had to read that damnable mortal book about saying goodnight to the moon--and not even in a _proper_ way to bless it.” 

Hilda hushed her. “It’s a darling book.”

Zelda snorted at that before rolling her eyes. “No mother wants to lose their child, Sabrina. Especially not to external forces trying to take it from her. Not when she chose to have that child in the first place and did all she could to have you.” Zelda looked over at her brother. “She did more than any of us were ever aware of.”

“But how did the angels attacking Aunt Diana lead you to learning the Dark Lord’s plans for Sabrina?” Ambrose asked, wanting to get back to the main question even as he filed away needing to look into angels a bit more for later. Angels attacking witches had been unheard of for centuries, something akin almost to mortal fairy tales meant to scare witchlings into behaving.

“And how does this tie into the other witchlings? What did you think the Dark Lord’s plans were for all of us at first?” Nick added as Edward headed back to his chair.

“We were always being tasked with ushering in the next path for worshipping the Dark Lord,” Edward replied as he sat down, glancing over at Nick. “The Anti Papacy’s ways have long been a source of annoyance for him. Something your father and I learned over a century ago and had been working to our advantage as best we could in our own plans. The best way to usher in any sort of new path was going to be the children of the coven. It's always easier to teach a child than try to change the ways of someone centuries old.”

Zelda snorted at that, looking over at Hilda as their earlier suspicions were confirmed. “I take it that’s why you’ve been having these two work with the witchlings on spells far beyond what they should be meddling with?”

Edward eyed her for a moment but didn’t reply, looking back at the others. “I asked for help with keeping the angels from harming Diana any further, thinking that the Dark Lord might have some sort of spell, amulet, _something_ that could keep them at bay. Victoria’s potions only managed to do so much.” 

He clasped his hands in front of him as he leaned forward, elbows pressing into his knees. “He was livid at their interference, that they ‘dared to harm his heir to Hell on Earth’, ranting about his siblings' foolish ways, demanding that Lilith make sure that Hell’s future princess would be fine.” 

Sabrina flinched at that, reaching over for Nick’s hand that wasn’t on her back. “It didn’t take long for Nathaniel and I to put it all together, to see the pieces of a dynasty being built in the plans that we’d crafted with him,” her father continued as he shook his head before rising again.

Hilda looked ready to stand, to offer up some comfort to her brother, but Zelda cut her a look, keeping her sister in her seat. “We were such fools, thinking that we had come up with all of our ideas on our own, but everything had been handcrafted by him,” Edward continued as he headed to the mantle, picking up a photograph of Diana, him and the Scratches. “All of us were only pieces in a very elaborate game of chess.”

He set the photo back down and looked back at the others. “And not just with our family, but every member of our two covens, bringing us to the point we’re at now.” Edward focused on Nick again. “I fully believe, Nicholas, that your mother’s family ties to Morrigan come into play somehow but your father and I are still trying to uncover how.”

Nick blinked at that, noticing that the others seemed just as startled by the other warlock’s words. “Family ties to Morrigan?”

“Like _the_ Morrigan?” Ambrose added, raising his hand. “Goddess of death and destiny?”

“On your mother’s side,” Edward replied with a nod. “Or at least that’s what her family had always claimed.”

Nick frowned, picking through his memories and remembering nothing. “My mother never mentioned that to me.”

“There may be clues to it that you simply haven’t learned how to understand from your journeys with her,” Edward told him and Nick’s lips pulled tight at that, not liking this added layer of mystery. “The Scratches have been long tied to Leto, which is where your family’s long line of wolf familiars comes from. The Morrigan is associated with wolves as well. The joining of your parents’ families was something talked about for centuries before it ever came to fruition. A union the Anti Papacy wasn’t too keen on when your parents first came together.”

“They were never all that happy with unions that brought about more power to a family than they could ever dream of,” Hilda murmured as she shook her head. 

“Not unless they helped form it,” Zelda pointed out before flicking ash into her tray. “You believe the Dark Lord had a hand in Nathaniel and Victoria’s meeting and union.” 

Edward nodded as Nick blinked at that, leaning forward to try and wrap his head around the various pieces that seemed to be at play. It was Sabrina’s turn to offer some comfort, arm sliding around him to pull him to lean against her. 

“I’m guessing you think the same in regards to Diana then for you?” Zelda asked after silence had fallen among the group and Sabrina watched as her father nodded. “Why did it specifically need to be Diana? There are dozens of witches you had a pacing fancy throughout the years for that would have brought about another powerful witchline. Or would any of the families who had one of the children have been an appropriate vessel if they had gone to him for help?”

“It seems her mortality was an important component but I’ve never quite been able to figure out why,” Edward replied, looking over at his daughter. “I think it had to be Diana though. She was placed in my path for a reason.”

“So...he manipulated you into loving her?” Sabrina asked, pulling away from Nick. Her thoughts from earlier rushed back with a vengeance. Had the Dark Lord done the same with her and Nick?

“No.” Edward shook his head. “The love I had for your mother was very real, Sabrina. He simply put her in my path at a time when he knew I would not push her out of it.”

Nick reached for her again, knowing the worry that was trying to dig into her mind. She let him take her hand again and he squeezed it, trying to assure her that what they had was real as well. 

“Could there be something we don’t know about her family?” Ambrose asked, mentally going over everything he did know about Diana Spellman. There wasn’t much.

“Considering she hardly knew anything about her own family I’d say there’s probably something to that,” Zelda pointed out before flicking more ash into the tray. “It’s possible there’s information that can be gleaned from her family’s home on the west coast?”

Edward nodded at that. “It’s on my list of places once the Anti Papacy is thoroughly dealt with.”

Sabrina pressed her lips together, forcing back the urge to say she’d be going as well. It was probably better to keep those plans to herself so they didn’t try to stop her. She’d fill Nick and Ambrose in later. 

Zelda stubbed out the rest of her cigarette before rising. “Now. What exactly do the Dark Lord and Lilith want from Sabrina, Nicholas and the other witchlings?” She focused on her brother. “Since apparently their simply being the ones to showcase the brilliance of this new path isn’t quite what the plan seems to be?”

“Nathaniel and I are still trying to determine Nicholas’ precise role in all of this,” Edward admitted with a sigh. “Lilith’s confirmation last night that you were never part of the original witchling count threw a few ideas into the fire. I’m certain your ability to combine magic with Sabrina is important.” 

Nick simply nodded at that, not wanting to expand on his own thoughts about the matter or the conversations he’d had with Sabrina and his father about it either. “As for Sabrina.” Edward turned to look over at her. “You heard Lilith throw around the word ‘dynasty’ and call you princess of Hell.” 

Sabrina pressed her lips together at his words. “You’re to have a coronation, become Queen of Hell,” her father continued, each word seeming to slice into her, ripping her open as the dreams she’d had planned were laid bloody on the floor before her. “You will be the face of it on Earth while Lilith and he continue their rule in Hell.” 

“But why?” Sabrina asked as Nick squeezed her hand again.

“Control,” Edward replied and Zelda snorted at that.

“They have another thing coming if they think they’ll be able to control anything Sabrina does,” her aunt muttered, even as the look she directed toward her niece was fairly tender. 

“And if I say no?” Sabrina looked over at her father. “If I don’t want the crown?”

Edward furrowed his brows at that. “Why wouldn’t you want the crown?”

“Sabrina, you have talked about becoming High Priestess since you could barely toddle,” Zelda pointed out, reminding the girl of her cousin’s comments from earlier.

Sabrina shook her head. Why couldn’t they see how this was different? “In my own time. At my own pace. Of _this_ coven. After I’ve lived my life. Not...”

“Not because the Dark Lord has decided that was her fate,” Nick muttered from beside her and the tension that had been coiling up inside of her eased a little. 

“You don’t even know what all of this will entail,” her father started but Sabrina was already shaking her head and rising, Nick following suit.

“I don’t care what it entails,” she replied, giving Nick’s hand a squeeze. “I’m a no.”

“Sabrina, you do not simply tell the Dark Lord no,” Edward continued, rising as well.

“Didn’t you though? When he sent me Gilly?” she countered, lifting her chin as her father let out a sigh. 

“Sweetheart,” Edward tried again, stepping toward her but Sabrina didn’t bother sticking around, muttering the teleportation spell and disappearing with Nick. 

Ambrose clasped his hands behind his back. “Well. I think that went about as well as I thought it might.” 

“You could not possibly have expected that child to have taken this well,” Hilda started as she shook her head.

“No. I knew she wouldn’t.” Edward let out a sigh. “Which is why I’d hoped we had the time we were supposed to in order to slowly reveal everything. To get her used to the idea.”

Zelda snorted. “I doubt that would have mattered much. You’d still be sending her down a path she has no say in.”

“A path that can only help witchkind,” Edward insisted, looking over at his sisters and nephew. “That allows for covens to come out of hiding, for our numbers to grow again, for the Anti Papacy to not have the foothold that it does in our world.” Could they not see the benefit in that?

“And all Sabrina has to do is sacrifice her dreams,” Hilda murmured, lips pulling into a frown.

“Hildegeard,” he started again but Ambrose was shaking his head as well.

“She’s right,” the younger warlock interrupted. “Is college on the table for her anymore?" Ambrose eyed him closely. "Was it ever? Or were you just going to keep coming up with excuses for why she wasn’t supposed to leave Greendale?”

Edward didn’t reply to that, staring ahead and Ambrose rose, staring in disgust at the man he’d always respected before teleporting away.

“She deserves better,” Hilda muttered before leaving the room. 

Edward leaned back against the chair, waiting for Zelda’s final refrain. “Well?” When she simply hummed at that he continued, “Are you not going to lambast me as well?”

“You’ve gone about this wrongly in every way possible, but not at the moment,” Zelda told him as she rose. “Sabrina has always been headstrong and is reeling over all the information she has been given. We all are. I see no reason she can’t have her dreams and lead a supposed dynasty. If it's what she chooses.”

“I’m not sure that’s quite the Dark Lord’s plans, Zelda,” Edward started and Zelda simply shrugged.

“Yes, well, he may need to alter them if he wants his plans to see any sort of fruition,” Zelda replied before eyeing her brother carefully. “Why did you keep this from us? We would have helped you. Could have helped prepare Sabrina better if we’d known.”

Edwad leaned forward again, looking around the room before he muttered a silencing spell, wanting the information he was about to say for their ears only. “I needed a contingency plan.”

Zelda arched a brow at that. “How so?”

“Nathaniel, Victoria and I were poking around, trying to discover precisely what the Dark Lord’s plans were,” Edward replied as he rose as well, walking toward the fireplace. “We knew that could backfire at any moment leaving you vulnerable. If you knew nothing about what we were doing then there was less of a chance of him punishing you. It was always a fear that he would take Sabrina, Zelda.” 

He picked up the photograph of him and Diana on their wedding day, smile pained as he looked down at his wife. “He did nothing to save Diana. She was only a vessel to carry Sabrina for him. There is little doubt in my mind that he would have simply taken her to be raised by another, perhaps by himself in Hell. Sending Gilly away earned enough of his ire.”

Zelda’s lips thinned at that information, wondering precisely what ire her brother had been doled out. “Do you trust what you know of his plans now?”

“Not completely, no.” Edward set the photograph down and looked back at his sister. “Not after Lilith tested her and plans on testing the others. Part of me thinks they instigated the Anti Papacy’s actions to start this process far earlier than it was supposed to.”

“Why would they need to hurry this along?” Surely the hundred years that had been plotted would have allowed for a better transition.

“I don’t know.” And that worried Edward. What could possibly be happening that would require the Dark Lord and Lilith to up the timeline such a significant amount? What was he not seeing clearly? And how much danger was his daughter and the rest of the coven in?

“We’ll deal with that as it comes,” Zelda finally stated and he looked over at her. “We need to determine how we’re dealing with Anti Papacy. We both know it's only a matter of time before they attack again and I don’t think they’ll be coming at us from another coven the next time around.”

* * *

“Sabrina, slow down,” Nick started, reaching out for the younger witch as she continued to rant about the conversation with her family. Her words were a jumbled mess, angry tears sliding down her face as she turned to look at him and stopped moving. She let Nick pull her toward him and took a shaky breath. 

She felt hot, like something had lit a match inside of her and she was slowly burning from the inside out. Part of her wanted to be consumed by the anger that was enveloping her, threatening to overwhelm her, but Nick’s touch on her arms helped to cool and steady her. He slid his hands up and down, soothing the intensity that stirred.

“I thought we’d get answers. _Actual answers._ ” Sabrina closed her eyes, curling her hands in his shirt as she took another breath. “But it's like everything is just one more piece to this enormous puzzle and we add it in but it just grows. Or the pieces no longer fit how they used to.”

Again and again and again.

“We’ll figure it out,” Nick told her, tipping her chin up so he could look at her better.

“When?” she asked as she looked at him. “When we’re being forced into wearing crowns and who knows what else?” Sabrina furrowed her brows, feeling the fire intensify again. “Our parents were manipulated into being together. Probably all of the coven was. Everything that any of them have done, that any of us have done has just been set into motion by the Dark Lord.” 

She kicked at the ground, before stepping forward and pressing her cheek against his chest. “So much for free will,” she murmured as she wrapped her arms around him, letting the press of his body steady her even further. 

“I think it's a little more complicated than that,” Nick murmured as he slipped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Oh?” Her voice was muffled as she pressed her forehead against his chest, hands wrapping in the back of his shirt.

“The Dark Lord definitely manipulated what he could, placing obstacles into paths, leading us along others,” Nick agreed, resting his chin on top of her head. “But he didn’t force the love that grew between your mom and dad, Sabrina. Or between my parents. Remember, they figured out what was happening and didn’t just go along with it.” Not exactly anyway. “They were trying to determine what it all meant too and still are.”

She didn’t reply to him right away, simply let out a sigh and closed her eyes again, holding on tightly. Nick didn’t push, threading his fingers through her hair as he felt her trembling slowly subside. 

“I want to go to Oregon.”

Nick grinned at that, grateful that they seemed to have moved onto planning. “We will.”

“No.” Sabrina shook her head, stepping back from him slightly so she could look at him properly. “I want to go there right now.”

Oh boy. “Sabrina.”

“I’m going, Nick.” There had to be answers at her mother’s childhood home and she wanted them. 

“You mean _we’re_ going,” Nick told her, eyeing her carefully. 

“I believe you mean _all three of us_ are going,” Ambrose stated as he slid out from the treeline, hands clasped behind his back. “The Anti Papacy _is_ still out there and they know nothing of you being Hell’s daughter, cousin. Only that you’re both a target. Especially without your fathers around.” 

He headed over to the two of them, pulling them into a hug. “I suggest we bring the hellhound.” 

The creature had already proven its worth several times over by then. “Plus, I made sure to retrieve the address from Uncle Edward’s study and the key,” Ambrose told them as he winked. 

As if on cue, Gilly showed up beside the group, their three familiars following suit soon after. He lolled his head to the side, tongue hanging out as he waited for directions from Sabrina. “We stick together,” Nick added, ignoring Amalia’s snort. She clearly thought this was a foolhardy idea. 

Sabrina simply nodded as Desdemona settled on Ambrose’s shoulder and Salem wound himself around her legs. Nick held out his hands for Ambrose and Sabrina, gripping them tightly

“Lanuae magicae.”

Sabrina had no frame of reference for the place. No one had ever really talked about it, only mentioning that her mother had left it to her and any contents inside of it, but no one in the Spellman family had ever ventured there. At least not to her knowledge. She had thought up countless ideas over the years for what it would look like, how it might reflect the woman she only saw in photographs and the occasional dreams. 

It was nothing like what she’d imagined for her mother and yet somehow seemed to fit with what little she knew of Diana Spellman all the same. While it was two stories, the building wasn’t very large, and the forest that it was situated in seemed to have taken a great deal of it over. The stone drive that seemed to weave out beyond the house was mostly covered over by grass and weeds, hiding its presence from a road it used to connect to. Moss had crept up along the outer stonework with a fallen tree leaning precariously against one side of it. 

There didn’t seem to be any sign of human activity around it though--no graffiti, no trash from the wayward hiker who might have stumbled across the place. 

Sabrina blinked as she picked up something she hadn’t expected to find anywhere near the place, a sense of magic prodding at her, almost faint enough that she hadn’t noticed it at first. It was gone before she had a chance to fully reach out and touch it and she flexed her fingers, wondering if she’d imagined it. 

“We probably have about half an hour before the aunties or your dads come looking for us,” Ambrose warned, nodding toward the house. 

He sent Desdemona up toward the treetops, letting her get a higher view of the place to watch them from. Amalia headed off into the woods, Salem on her heels, to get a feel for the grounds and establish a perimeter. Only Gilly remained, looking over at the other two before back at Sabrina. It was only when she nodded that he hurried off to catch up with Amalia and Salem. 

“What are you hoping to find here, cousin?” Ambrose asked as they headed toward the stone steps. 

“I have no idea,” Sabrina murmured, but she couldn't’ shake the feeling that there was something of importance in this place, an answer that they needed. 

Nick stopped at the bottom step, glancing back behind them, and furrowed his brow. Something about this place had the hairs on the back of his neck prickling and his heartbeat increasing. There was nothing out there though, not that he could see at least, and he turned back, heading up the stairs with Sabrina and Ambrose. 

Ambrose handed the key over to Sabrina, letting her unlock the door. It needed his help to get it pushed open even once it was unlocked. 

“Lux,” the older warlock murmured, sending a ball of spinning light into the entryway and then further into the house. A quick flick of the lightswitch confirmed his suspicions that there was no electricity running to the place any longer, but the light he’d sent out found every light fixture and worked its magic, filling them with the light they needed. 

There was a mustiness to the place from its years of abandonment, dried leaves crunching under their feet as they stepped inside and began to look around. It reminded her a bit of Theo’s house, the decor simple and well-worn, with old paintings on the walls and some black and white silhouettes of people she didn’t know. She stopped at a photograph that depicted a little girl with blonde hair that was similar to how hers used to be and she could see her mother in the girl’s features. There were other ones of the same girl with her mother and father, the girl growing in each picture, her features taking on even more of how she would look in the photos that Sabrina had at home. 

Ambrose pressed his foot onto the step, cringing at the way it squeaked underneath him. “I’m not sure how stable the upstairs is going to be.”

Sabrina nodded, lifting one of the photographs of her mother when she’d been young. “You really do look like her,” her cousin murmured as he stepped over to her. “Except it seems she was fond of pigtails instead of headbands. You still have that Spellman nose though.”

She looked at her reflection in the glass of the photo frame. She did have the Spellman nose and yet looked like her mother. What had she gotten from the Dark Lord? Sabrina blinked, not wanting to dwell on that. “I can probably take some photos, right?”

“Everything in this place is yours,” Ambrose reminded, giving her shoulder a squeeze before moving to look at something else.

Nick was pursuing the bookshelves, taking note of the titles to see if anything jumped out at him. There wasn’t anything out of ordinary on the top shelves, some books he’d seen at Theo’s place, a few novels he’d seen assigned in different mortal literature classes. There were a few books on various plants on the bottom shelf and a bible that looked like it had seen better days. He pulled back up as Ambrose was drawing down his sleeve, revealing a message had just come in.

“Your aunts?” Nick asked, though he and Sabrina hadn’t gotten anything. “Or Prudence?”

“You and Prudence are at magical pen levels?” Sabrina made a face at that idea as she removed another photo from the frame.

“Don’t be jealous, cousin,” Ambrose grinned over at her, ignoring Sabrina as she stuck out her tongue before looking down at the words that were being formed. His eyes widened as he looked over at the other two. “Prudence says Roz is with her.”

Sabrina and Nick headed over to him, watching as the message disappeared and another began to show. “Roz says we need to leave.”

An arrow whizzed by, narrowly missing Nick before it landed in the wall behind him. Ambrose grabbed hold of Sabrina’s hand, intent on teleporting them out of the building as he recognized the fletchling colors. 

“Witch hunters.”

The front door blew open as a blinding white light penetrated through every window, locking the three of them into place. They couldn’t move and Sabrina looked for any tendrils of magic in the light that was effectively trapping them, but there was nothing there for her to fight against, nothing to push back at. 

Three figures stepped forward into the room, their shadows swept behind them, revealing wings that weren’t visible to the naked eye. 

It was worse than simply witch hunters. 

Angelic witch hunters. 

No amount of magic they could manage would hold against this lot. Hopefully the hellhound would manage to intervene before their throats were cut.

Nick watched the three angels walk around them as best he could, unable to turn his head to follow their movements completely. He reached out through his mental connection to Amalia, knowing she couldn’t have gotten too far away--though had they incapacitaed the familiars? He would have felt that if it had occurred, right? She should have been able to sense that he was in danger now, the others noticing it as well and hopefully they would be on their way back.

One of the angels held a bow pointed at the three of them and if the legends were true, the head would have been dipped in holy water to hurt more as it drove into their flesh, working to lessen their grip on magic. 

There wasn’t anything in particular about them that looked different than their mortal friends or even a witch. Only their shadows gave away what they truly were. Their clothing reminded Nick of something he’d seen some of the False God’s followers who enjoyed prostalizing door to door wear. 

“Are we certain she’s the one?” the blonde one asked and Nick’s heartbeat sped up, knowing they had to be referring to Sabrina. 

“Why else would she be here?” the brunette countered, looking back toward the three of them.

“She looks similar to the one in the pictures,” the one holding the bow muttered, nodding toward one of the framed photos.

“Only one way to find out for certain,” the first replied, unsheathing the knife at his side. 

“Don’t touch her,” Nick bit out, fighting against the power that was binding him in place as the angel advanced toward Sabrina. 

“If she’s not?” the bow one asked and the one with the knife shrugged.

“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”

Ambrose struggled against the power as well, eyes widening as the blade was lifted and sliced against his cousin’s throat. He would never forget the sound that Sabrina made as she dropped, that last try for breath as her life was taken from her, Nick’s screams echoing the depth of despair that enveloped him in that moment. 

The fight left Ambrose as tears pricked at his eyes. His body sagged against the power that was holding him in place, unable to fully comprehend that the cousin he held so dear to his heart lay dead at his feet. He’d worked so hard to shield her from the horrors of the world, to protect her in their small town, to ensure she had a chance at a life free of the insanity his own childhood had endured. He’d never been able to really say no to her, not with enough force behind it to stop her wilder ideas, following along and egging her on more often than not. 

That reckless, rebellious streak had run hot through him as well and when he’d been locked inside the Spellman grounds, unable to step foot out of them, Ambrose had encouraged it in a tiny Sabrina. Delighted in the way she’d stand toe to toe with their Aunt Zelda, her temper just as big as the older witch’s. 

He remembered the first time he’d seen her and then held her only seconds later as the aunts and his uncle had carried a dead Diana into the mortuary, working to try and revive the woman. The newborn had wailed, impatiently demanding attention and he’d been all too willing to give it as he’d rocked her back and forth to quiet her down and introduce her to the world she’d entered. 

Guilt ran like ice through his veins, freezing him from the inside out. He should have stopped her from coming to this place or at least put up some protections around it before they’d stepped foot inside. 

_Anything_ that wouldn’t have allowed this to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really, very sorry.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading.


	23. terrible thing

Death wasn’t anything like how Sabrina imagined it might be. There was no reverse look at her life being played out, no sense of completion. Only pain and then darkness that seeped into every piece of her. It wasn’t quite nothingness, just a hollowness that reverberated through her whole body, filling her up and swallowing her whole.

And then it wasn’t that any longer. 

It was like a match was struck inside of her, fire and light rumbling to life, filling her in a way that the darkness hadn’t quite managed to reach. She heard nothing though as her eyes opened, felt nothing but the heat that she had become, wanting to consume the world around her. It was desperate to lash out, to unleash the pain that had been dealt to her tenfold on those who’d done so. 

Hellfire whipped around her as she rose, the crown and wings that Nick had seen only a day ago sprouting into existence again. 

The angels' gazes widened as they took her in, stepping back slightly as she took a step forward in the air. Their fear was delicious, wrapping snuggly around her as she raised her hand, clenching it into a fist and capturing each of the angels in lassos of hellfire that immobilized them. 

“You dared to try and harm me.” Her voice felt odd to her ears, deeper, echoing throughout the room as she rose a little higher, flames trailing from her feet. 

Someone else was speaking but she paid no mind to it, her gaze on the three figures in front of her. The wings that hadn’t been visible appeared, flames lapping at their tarnished feathers and Sabrina tightened the lassos, enjoying their hisses of pain. 

There was something else prickling at the back of her mind, her body tilting toward the ones behind her, drawn to the magic that whirled in one of them. It was part of her, they both were in their own ways and Sabrina blinked, finally turning as she listened to the words being spoken.

“S-Sabrina?” 

She recognized Ambrose immediately, Nick’s voice echoing his seconds later and she turned toward him, hands rising to her throat, feeling the stickiness of her blood but no wound. Ambrose let out a sob and Sabrina tightened her grip further on the angels as she waved her hand, breaking the power that had been holding Nick and him in place. 

Her magic pulled toward Nick, drawing out his own that had tried to free him earlier, and mixed with his, easing some of the rage that had seeped into her bones. Hers tugged at him harder, wanting him to rise with her, for him to be at her side. 

“Sabrina,” Ambrose tried again and she turned toward him, letting the hellfire dissipate as he reached toward her, though she kept the angels securely tied. 

She took hold of his hand, giving it a squeeze before reaching over for Nick’s as well. 

“She’s the one,” the angel who had slit her throat muttered. 

Sabrina whipped back at that, letting go of their hands before tightening the lasso around that angel, lips curling into a nasty smile as he hissed. She pulled at the air, dislodging the knife from the angel’s hand. Her blood was on it and she glimpsed herself in a dusty mirror, spotting the blood on her throat and clothes. Hellfire erupted around her again, bathing her in its fiery glow. 

“You _killed_ me.” 

Her voice was steady, belying the queasiness that had begun stirring inside of her, not quite able to believe what had just happened as she looked between the three angels, needing an explanation.

“You’re a celestial child,” he replied and Sabrina swiped at his cheek with the knife. Blood trickled from it and Sabrina narrowed her eyes, pleased to see they could bleed as well even if the wound had begun healing immediately. “A mortal death will never stick.” 

She slammed the angel into the wall, letting flames gather at his feet, wanting to consume him and blot out his existence from the world. 

“Sabrina, we need answers from them,” Ambrose tried, but she didn’t reply to that, letting the flames rise a little higher up the angel’s legs, letting it catch hold of his clothes. 

“Sabrina,” Ambrose tried again as he reached forward again, hissing as the hellfire that surrounded his cousin burned him. He pulled back, cradling his hand to his chest as he watched Nick step forward and reach for her hand.

The flames did nothing to him and Ambrose swallowed as he watched the hellfire encompass the other warlock as well, the crown that had formed above his cousin’s head bursting forth over Nick’s as well. 

“We need to know why they’re here and why they want you,” Nick told her as he tugged her to look at him. The whiteness of her eyes faded, revealing that gaze he knew all too well, as he brushed his thumb along her cheek. 

Sabrina nodded, pulling back the flames from the angel, before giving Nick’s hand a squeeze. She turned back toward the angels again, gaze narrowed as she took them in. “Why are you here?”

“We were waiting for you,” the brunette muttered. “Or one of your family.”

“Why?” 

None of them answered and Sabrina furrowed her brow, pushing at them with her magic, forcing their tongues to work. “To get to you,” the one who’d held the bow replied. 

“ _Why?_ ” Sabrina demanded, tired of asking that question, of having to pull out answers.

“You’re our ticket back to Heaven,” the blonde told her and Sabrina blinked at that as Nick squeezed her hand.

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Nick muttered, trying to determine why they would need Sabrina to do that. Shouldn’t they already be able to get to Heaven on their own?

Ambrose pressed his other fist to his mouth, looking over the other two. “Watchers. They’re watchers.” Sabrina shook her head, Nick following suit, not sure what her cousin was getting at. “Fallen angels who doubted the False God or partook in matters that got them cast out of Heaven.”

“But how would capturing me get them back?” Sabrina frowned, spotting Ambrose’s wounded hand. She let the hellfire dissipate from around her again, hating that she’d unintentionally hurt him. He shook his head, shrugging it off even though he was clearly in pain.

“If we bring the Morningstar to Michael we get back in,” the brunette continued, voice shaking as she looked at the other angels.

“Michael? As in the Archangel?” Ambrose asked, putting the pieces together.

“Why does he want Sabrina?” Nick asked, squeezing her hand tightly. 

The angels shrugged and Nick pushed at them with his magic, trying to pull the answers from them, but it seemed there were none to give. “All we know is that he does,” the brunette replied. 

“You’ve just been waiting here for someone to come?” Ambrose asked, motioning around the house. They wouldn’t have noticed the angels’ magic. It was different from their own, not something they would have thought to search for. 

They would need to make sure they did so from then on.

“A child always wants to know about those who had a part in creating them,” the blonde stated and Sabrina flinched at the harshness of that statement. 

“How many more of you are there?” Because Nick doubted there were only three angels in the world who were looking for Sabrina.

“Most texts say there are two hundred Watchers on Earth, give or take a few more that might have fallen in the last milenia,” Ambrose muttered, shaking his head at the amount they might be dealing with. 

“So we don’t need these three then?” Sabrina looked over at her cousin, watching him shake his head before she returned her attention back to the angels. “I’m guessing mortal deaths don’t stick for you either?”

She didn’t wait for an answer, letting the blue flames consume the three, leaving only small piles of ash behind.

“Sabrina.” Nick’s voice broke and she closed her eyes at that, not quite able to look back at him. She didn’t want to see the devastation that she heard there and took a shaky breath. Her neck was sticky, blood seeping still into her shirt, and Sabrina didn’t think she’d ever get rid of the stain. 

“I…” she started, not quite able to get anything out as Nick touched her shoulder, turning her toward him. 

His expression was even worse than she’d imagined and she couldn’t quite bite back a sob as she collapsed into his arms. He crushed her to him, never wanting to let go. Ambrose joined the two of them as they sunk to their knees. 

Gilly burst through the door seconds later, sending it flying into the house and splintering from the impact. The familiars pushed in past him, heading over to the three, Salem seeking out Sabrina as the other two held back a little. He weaved his way into her lap, rubbing his head against her stomach as she continued to hold onto Nick and Ambrose. 

Amalia pressed against Nick’s mind, letting him see that they had been attempting to break past a barrier that the angels had managed to put up around the house, effectively cutting off their help as Gilly stumbled through the house, causing things to fall before he slumped down beside the trio as well, resting his head against Sabrina’s side as best he could manage. 

Ambrose murmured a cleaning spell after a few more moments, ridding Sabrina’s neck and clothes of her blood that had seeped into it. It wouldn't do anything to rid them of the memory of seeing her dead before them, or stop her from remembering her death either, but he hoped it helped a little to not have the immediate reminder.

His arm itched and he knew that Prudence was trying to reach them again, that her and Roz had to be worried about their lack of contact since the last message, but he couldn’t seem to bring himself to pull away from Sabrina so he could answer it. He needed to hold onto his cousin, to feel her taking another breath, her hand warm in his as the three of them continued to simply sit there together, hugging one another tightly, their familiars curled around them. 

“Let me see your hand,” Sabrina murmured after a moment. 

“It’s fine, cousin,” Ambrose protested even as he held it out to her, hissing when she held it in her own. 

And then it didn’t hurt anymore, the blisters that had been forming disappearing, leaving unblemished skin behind as Sabrina rubbed her thumb along it, murmuring words that Ambrose couldn’t quite make out. 

The Weird Sisters appeared in the room moments later, Roz with them and stumbling a little from the jolt of teleporting for the first time. “I swear, Ambrose--” Prudence started, ready to rail into him. Her voice faltered though as she took in the blood on the floor, the piles of ashes on the ground and the three witches curled into one another. 

The hellhound growled a low warning before Sabrina ran her hand through his hair, calming him immediately with her touch. “Sabrina?” Roz asked, hurriedly moving toward her friend. 

“Did you decide to do a little redecorating?” Agatha asked as she looked around, taking in the destruction. 

“It’s what I saw attack you, isn’t it?” Roz reached for her friend, looking Sabrina over for the wounds she was expecting to find. There was nothing there though, no stains against her friend’s clothes. But the pool of blood off to the side told a different story.

“I’m okay,” Sabrina started, trying to sound reassuring as she gave her friend a squeeze before standing up. “We were attacked.”

“We know,” Prudence replied as she continued to glance around at the mess. 

“Angelic witch hunters,” Ambrose muttered as he rose as well. Only Nick hadn’t moved, doling out some more attention to Amalia and Salem. 

“Where are they now?” Dorcas’s eyes widened, looking a little more frantically around as Nick nodded toward the piles of ash.

“How did you burn angels?” Agatha asked, kicking at one of the piles while Roz blinked, trying to make sense of what she was hearing.

It was angels that had attacked Sabrina? There were angels that hunted witches? It made sense on some level--there was that quote in Exodus--but the New Testament was what her family stuck to, some of the older traditions having been pushed aside. Otherwise she’d never have been able to wear some of the clothes she did or eat her favorite seafood regularly. But why would angels want to kill her friend?

“Hellfire,” Sabrina murmured, hand moving to her neck again and Roz watched the motion, saw Nick and Ambrose wince as Sabrina did so. 

“They really did cut your throat, didn’t they?” Roz asked, unable to stop staring at her friend. She watched as Sabrina swallowed at that before nodding. “But how are you…?”

Sabrina didn’t reply to that right away, not sure how to go into everything that had just happened or all she’d learned about herself in the last twelve hours. Ambrose moved over to her, squeezing her shoulder again as Nick rose. Amalia headed off toward the front of the house, intent on keeping guard while Salem moved toward Sabrina, winding himself around her legs. Gilly rolled over, bringing the rug that the angels’ ashes were on with him.

“I thought your mom was mortal,” Dorcas commented and everyone turned to look at her, watching as the witch nodded toward the floor under the hellhound. “Isn’t that a pentagram?”

“It sure looks like part of one,” Agatha agreed, heading over to stand by her sister.

“Gilly, come here,” Sabrina told the hound, thankful that he immediately obeyed.

“Ambrose, help me move this,” Nick murmured, heading over to lift the rug to get a better look. The two of them got it and as much of the ash as they could out of the way, revealing a pentagram painted onto the floor.

“Why is there a pentagram in your mother’s family home?” Prudence asked, glancing over at Sabrina.

She shook her head, shrugging helplessly as she looked down at it. “I don’t know.”

“Ambrose, can you tell how recent that is?” Nick asked, nodding toward the symbol.

Ambrose rubbed at the back of his neck as he mentally went through the options. “We could try a memory spell.”

“Memory spell?” Roz looked around at the group, thankful the others seemed to be uncertain as well, though not as out of their depths as she was currently feeling. She reached for Sabrina’s hand, holding tightly to it.

“Houses have memories,” Ambrose explained, motioning for everyone to step back some. "Most places do. We can pull on those, focus on this specific area and see what memories we can pick up. Usually it’ll go from the most recent and then backwards.” He wasn’t certain whether or not that would hold true this time around. 

He wasn’t sure of much anymore after having witnessed his baby cousin come back to life. 

“What do we need for it?” Nick asked as he observed the pentagram, trying to determine what had been used to make it. He thought it might have been painted on, something permanent like the ones in the classrooms designated for spellwork.

“Candles,” Ambrose replied, nodding. 

“We’ll scour for candles,” Agatha stated, motioning for Dorcas to come with her. 

None of the others moved, still looking at the symbol on the floor before Prudence glanced over at the scene that was still behind her. “Is someone going to explain the pool of blood?”

“No,” Nick replied, his tone causing her not to press further on that.

“How did one of you get access to hellfire?” she decided on instead, looking between Nick, Sabrina and Ambrose.

“It doesn’t matter,” Nick stated, gaze cutting up to hers and she narrowed her eyes, not liking the way he was dismissing her questions. So it had to have been Sabrina who had managed it and Prudence had a feeling the blood had to do with the other witch as well. She’d get answers later.

“If we had peppermint that would be even better,” Ambrose muttered, focusing back on the spell they needed to do as Agatha and Dorcas returned with candles and began to set them onto the points.

“I’ve got peppermint mints,” Roz offered, pulling them out of her pocket. She handed them over to Sabrina’s cousin when he held out his hand for them, taking a step back as the others moved to stand around the circle the pentagram was drawn inside. 

The candles all lit at once as they linked hands, echoing the words that Ambrose started saying before they became a chorus, stating the spell together. The smoke from the candles was pulled into the circle, shifting into shapes that couldn’t quite be made out into anything substantial at first. But they shifted as the flames grew, pushing the others to let go of one another and step back, giving the magic more room.

The smoke swirled through the circle, shifting again into images that seemed almost lifelike and Sabrina sucked in a breath as she spotted her mother in them. She looked younger than the photographs that Sabrina had of the woman, closer to the age Sabrina was currently. 

Diana wore a crown with a crescent moon on her head as she sat in the middle of the pentagram. Other figures in black robes walked around the inner edge of the circle, placing bowls of different kinds of plants in front of her. 

It was the way her mother’s image seemed to shift as she turned in the circle, showcasing three profiles instead of simply her own that was most confusing though as those around her chanted words they couldn’t hear before her image settled back into the form similar to what Sabrina was used to seeing. 

The candles blew out and the smoke dissipated, images disappearing as well. 

“Are you certain your mother was mortal?” Agatha asked as she looked over at Sabrina.

“Because that didn’t look mortal,” Dorcas added, pointing over at the circle before she pursed her lips. 

“Did anyone make out what they were chanting?” Nick asked as he moved over to stand by Sabrina. 

“It didn’t seem familiar.” Ambrose shook his head. “The plants being offered don’t line up with anything I know about either.” Garlic wasn’t something they used in much of anything. Neither was honey or milk. The pomegranates were on point for certain ceremonies but didn't quite line up with the crescent shaped treats they had been paired with. 

“Black robes aren’t that out of the ordinary,” Prudence pointed out. “We’ve used them for certain rituals, but not ones when we’re giving offerings.” Usually sacrificial matters. 

“There wasn’t a feel of magic though,” Sabrina murmured, lips pulling into a frown. “No traces of it in what they were doing.” She would have seen them, wouldn’t she? She could see the traces of the magic they had just done to bring about what was seen but nothing at all in what had been going on. 

“There didn’t seem to be an energy around them,” Nick agreed, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

Ambrose clapped his hands together before pressing them against his mouth. “We need to get back to Greendale.”

“There might still be…” Sabrina started, voice trailing off at the look he directed toward her. She’d never seen that pleading look directed at her, mixed with pure exhaustion and watched his gaze drift toward where the pool of her blood still laid. The fight died in her at that moment, knowing she couldn’t push for Nick and him to stay a moment longer in that house. 

She didn’t really want to either. “Let’s go home.”

They were on the mortuary grounds moments later and Sabrina stepped off to the side to talk to Roz. “Brina?” 

“I can’t--not yet.” She couldn’t talk about what had happened with her friend just yet. Couldn’t quite make sense of it in her own head either. 

Roz pulled her in tightly, hugging her friend hard. The images she’d seen involving Sabrina were going to haunt her dreams, the blood she’d seen on the floor confirming that at least something similar to her visions had occurred in that house. If it was even a fraction of what Roz had seen, she knew it had to be traumatic for her friend and the other two. 

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Roz told her as she pulled back, grateful that Sabrina nodded at that.

“Are you coming, Walker?” Prudence asked, motioning for the other girl to join her sisters and her. “I have no issue with leaving you here to find your own way home if you don’t hurry up. My generosity only lasts so long.”

“Tomorrow,” Sabrina assured Roz, motioning for her to go. She let out a sigh once the other four were gone before glancing over at the mortuary. “What are the chances they don’t know we left?”

The front door was wrenched open at that and they watched as Zelda stepped outside, her gaze fixing on the three of them. “I’d say slim to none,” Ambrose muttered as Desdemona settled on his shoulder. “You two just go upstairs. I’ll handle them.”

“Ambrose,” Nick started but the older warlock shook his head. 

“I’ve got this,” Ambrose reiterated as they started toward the mortuary and up the stairs. 

“What exactly do the three of you think you’re playing at?” Zelda demanded as they entered the house, scoffing as Sabrina and Nick headed toward the stairs. “And where do you think you’re going? We are having a family meeting. _All_ of us.”

Ambrose waved the two of them off before turning to look back at his aunt. “They won’t be joining.”

Zelda turned her attention to him, her brows arched, her lips pinched in a way that showed him her displeasure. He was certain she would have turned him into a toad right then if she’d been able. 

“Something happened,” Ambrose started as Nick and Sabrina headed past the doorway at the top of the stairs. 

Zelda pressed her lips together at the gravity of his voice, finding no trace of her nephew’s usual jovial manner. This wasn’t like his depressive spells of the last few decades when he’d been under house arrest either. It reminded her of when Edward had first brought him home, of the broken shell that he had been after being under the Anti Papacy’s control for weeks on end. 

She motioned toward the living room where her siblings were waiting. What trouble had they managed to find in less than an hour?

* * *

Nick sat down on the edge of her bed, watching as Sabrina began to pace back and forth along the length of her room. Their familiars had taken up space on the bed as well while Gilly laid at the foot of it, all of them watching her endless movement. She couldn’t seem to stop going, trying to focus on the pieces that they had seen at the very end of the trip to her mother’s house, to unlock the secrets that seemed to have cropped up around her mother from it.

“Maybe if we look up the different plants and things that were offered we can figure out what ritual they were doing?” Sabrina suggested, heading over to her vanity. She pulled open the drawers, trying to find a pad of paper and a pen, intent on writing down everything they had seen. “It was garlic and pomegranates, and honey?” 

She glanced over at Nick, wanting confirmation on that but he simply let out a long breath. “Sabrina.”

She shook her head, knowing what he wanted to focus on and turned back to the paper. Her hands shook as she tried to jot down notes, her writing barely legible and she looked down at them, trying to get them to steady. All she could see was how they had been not even an hour before, stained red with her own blood and she dropped the pen and paper, hands flying up to her neck again. Sabrina glanced at her reflection in the mirror, blinking away the images of her throat sliced open, the front of her drenched in blood as she felt smooth skin.

It wasn't there, no trace of blood left on her and yet she couldn't shake the image of it.

Nick moved over to her and she kept shaking her head as he turned her toward him, closing her eyes as he cupped her face with his hands. She gripped onto his forearms, feeling her legs start to buckle as the reality of her death caught up with her all over again. He caught her, pulling her tight against his body as Sabrina let out a shuddering breath against him. 

“I can’t--I can’t--” She couldn’t seem to get her words to work, nothing coming out like she wanted it to as she clung to him, thankful that he was holding her just as tightly. She needed to get out of her clothes though, couldn’t stand being in them even if Ambrose had managed to rid them of her blood. 

She tugged at her shirt and Nick pressed a kiss to her forehead, understanding what she needed. He stepped back, letting her strip and headed over to her dresser, pulling out a pair of her pajamas to change into. He picked one of the older sets she had used to wear more often, something smooth and comforting for her to pull on. 

“We’ll burn them,” he promised as he tossed the clothes she’d been wearing into her laundry basket while she pulled on her pajamas. 

“I shouldn’t have…” Sabrina started as she stepped back into his embrace, pressing her cheek against his chest. “I should have known someone would have been watching…” She’d been _reckless_ , not thinking any of it through, had simply done what she wanted, consequences be damned. And they had all suffered because of that choice. “I’m sorry.”

Nick brushed his lips against her forehead, not quite able to shut his eyes as he squeezed her tighter at that. Every time he closed them he saw her dead at his feet, her blood pooling around her as the life drained from her. “I’m so sorry,” Sabrina sobbed, tightening her grip on him and Nick brushed his hand through her hair. 

“You’re alive,” he murmured, still not able to say she was okay. He didn’t think any of them would be alright for a long time after what they had just endured. “You’re alive.” He could feel her breathing and her heart beating, could sense the magic that always seemed to whirl around her, their connection as bright as ever. 

“I am,” she murmured back, trying to bury herself closer in his grip, focusing on the steadiness of his breath.

Losing her had been a blow that Nick wasn’t sure how to explain. It had been like part of him had ceased to exist for those seconds she’d laid dead beneath him, a part of him turned to ash that he would never be able to get back. Part of him still wondered if this was a dream, if his mind had somehow twisted the moments after into what had happened as a sort of coping mechanism. 

He knew he’d have been dead shortly afterward if Sabrina hadn’t risen as she did though. The angels wouldn’t have let either him or Ambrose live and they would have been powerless to stop them from moving to slit their throats as well. 

Nick tightened his grip on her even more, breathing her in as Sabrina murmured the same words over and over again. “I’m here.” 

Her bedroom door opened and the two turned toward it, finding Edward Spellman standing in the doorway. The look of utter devastation on her father’s face had Sabrina letting out another sob and Edward headed directly to her, pulling her into a tight hug as she stepped away from Nick. She needed to hug her father, to feel him squeezing her back just as tightly. 

Nick stepped back, watching the tears fall down the older warlock’s cheeks as Edward cradled Sabrina against him, murmuring words that he couldn't quite make out. He could hear Ambrose below, still relaying all that had happened, and waved his hand to close the bedroom door before sitting back down on the edge of the bed. Amalia rested her head on his thigh as Salem climbed onto his lap, the hellhound moving to rest at his feet. 

“They knew she wouldn’t…” Nick started once Sabrina had pulled away from her father and joined him on the edge of the bed. Edward moved to the vanity and turned the chair around so he could face the two of them. “They said because she was a celestial child that a mortal death wouldn’t stick.”

“They wanted to bring me to Michael,” Sabrina added, leaning against Nick as she picked up Salem, letting him curl up on her lap. 

He wrapped his arm around her, thankful to have to close again. “Why would an archangel want her?” 

“I don’t know.” Edward shook his head as he leaned forward, pressing his elbows into his thighs. “They haven’t tried to get near you since working to prevent your birth.”

“The angels said they had been waiting for Sabrina or a member of your family to go to that house,” Nick told him. “I can’t figure out why it had to be there though? There have been plenty of opportunities to go after you over the years. You’re in different places at least once a month.”

“And the aunties have both been out of Greendale every so often,” Sabrina added. Never for as long as her father, but she remembered both of them being away at least once when she was a child. 

“It could be as simple as keeping an eye on one house was far easier than trying to guess where any of us might appear at any given time,” Edward replied, though even he didn’t seem too certain about that answer. 

“Mom’s house has pentagram drawn on the floor,” Sabrina started, frowning as she remembered the symbol. “We did a memory spell, daddy. She was involved in some sort of ritual when she was my age.”

“We’re not sure what it was, but there were others there giving offerings to her while she sat in the middle of it,” Nick added, stroking his hand through Amalia’s fur. 

“And she wore a crown with a crescent moon on it,” Sabrina remembered as Salem pressed against her stomach, wanting the same attention that the wolf was getting.

“A crescent moon?” Edward pursed his lips at that, wracking his brain for the significance of that. He rose, holding up a hand before hurriedly exiting the room.

Her aunts and Ambrose chose that moment to enter, Hilda hurrying over to Sabrina and pulling the girl into another hug. “I’m okay, auntie,” Sabrina tried to reassure her but her voice sounded hollow even to her ears. 

Nick scooted over as Zelda moved to sit down on the other side of her niece. Her expression was unreadable as she brushed at Sabrina’s hair, waiting until Hilda let her go to pull the girl toward her. “You need to stop recklessly running off,” Zelda started as Sabrina wrapped her arms around her. 

“I know,” Sabrina replied as Zelda rested her chin on top of her head. 

Ambrose offered a small smile to Nick before Edward hurried back into the room, a journal in his hand. He was flipping through it, looking for something he’d written about centuries before as a child. “Was it this?” he asked, turning it around for Nick and Sabrina to look at as Ambrose headed over. 

A black crown with a white crescent moon on top was drawn on the page, sketches of the different plant offerings that they had seen around it as well. Below was a sketch of a woman looking forward with two other depictions of the same face looking off to the side, as if they were shifting in and out of focus. 

“She did that,” Sabrina tapped the image at the bottom. “It was like she was three at once.”

“You’re certain?” Edward asked as he shut the book. 

Sabrina nodded, Nick and Ambrose following suit. “I wasn’t sure if it was because of the smoke that we used to bring back the memories or not,” Ambrose admitted. Though if his uncle had drawn it then he had a feeling it had some sort of significance. 

“Hecate,” Edward murmured as he sat back down at the vanity. “The triple goddess.”

“Mother of witches,” Hilda added, taking hold of Sabrina’s hand to give it a squeeze. 

Zelda still hadn’t let the girl go and Sabrina wasn’t about to move from her aunt’s embrace. “Why would Diana have been in a ritual blessing depicting Hecate?” 

“She never mentioned Hecate to me in all the time I knew her,” Edward frowned, rubbing at his chin as he tried to remember something she might have said even in passing. He looked at his sisters and Ambrose and they all shook their heads. None of them had remembered her doing so either. “I would think if she had ties with that particular goddess it would have come up. She was confused by our ties to magic when I first showed her what I could do and started bringing her into the fold.”

“She always marveled at the littlest thing we could do,” Hilda remembered. “Blowing a candle into life, stirring sugar in with a spoon without touching it.”

“Could someone have messed with her mind? Perhaps they took her memories of this aspect of her life from her?” Ambrose suggested, not quite liking the idea. “We’ve been wondering _why_ the Dark Lord picked Aunt Diana to be the one who caught your eyes, Uncle Edward? What if this is why? What if he knew about her connection to the triple goddess? Whatever it might be?” He still wasn’t sure what that was yet. 

“At this point, I think anything is possible,” Edward admitted, glancing over at the photograph of his wife in her cheerleader uniform. 

“We’ll need to add that to the list of things to discuss with Lilith when she shows up later today,” Zelda suggested and Sabrina stiffened in her arms.

She pushed away from her aunt, shaking her head. “I don’t--” 

Zelda reached over, gripping the girl’s shoulder. “You will have nothing to do with her.” That seemed to ease Sabrina’s worry a little. “You can stay in this room if you’d like or you and Nicholas can head to the Scratches instead?” Zelda looked over at Nick, watching the boy nod. 

“I don’t care what plans the Dark Lord and her might have orchestrated,” Zelda continued before she rose. “Their plans can go to Heaven if you want nothing to do with them. Especially with all of this added mystery that keeps being thrown up around them. Isn’t that right, Edward?”

Sabrina looked over at her father, hopeful that he’d agree. His gaze was still fixed on the photograph of her mother, fingers brushing along the edges of it. “Family above all,” Edward murmured after another moment and Zelda nodded at that. 

“Ambrose, you’ll stay with them,” Zelda continued, before looking at the familiars and hellhound in the room. “As will you lot. Though, hopefully, this time you won’t be detained from your duties.”

Amalia let out a low growl at that while Salem hissed at Zelda. The older witch simply shrugged before reaching over to squeeze Sabrina’s shoulder again. “Come, Hildy. You have a cake to prepare.”

Hilda hugged Sabrina one more time. “Truth cake. Don’t want her trying any funny business now, do we?” she told the girl before heading out of the room with her sister. 

Edward was hesitant to leave, not wanting to let his daughter out of his sight again, the news of her death--no matter how temporary--had shaken him to his very core. “We’ll stick together, Uncle Edward,” Ambrose told him and the older warlock nodded at that before heading over to Sabrina. 

She easily hugged her father back, pressing her face into his neck as his grip tightened on her. “Don’t leave the Scratch residence, understand?” he murmured and she nodded. 

“I promise.” And she meant it, didn’t bother trying to cross her fingers to get out of that one. 

“I love you so much, my little witch.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead before pulling away from her, nodding to the other two before he left the room. 

“I’m going to pack a bag, grab some things from the library that might be useful in our research,” Ambrose started as he looked between Nick and Sabrina. Keeping the three of them occupied was probably a good idea. 

“Anything and everything that might give us more insight into Hecate,” Sabrina suggested as she picked up Salem, cuddling him close. She didn’t know much about the goddess. She’d never really been a focal point to any of their lessons, which was a little funny considering she was supposed to be the Goddess of Witches. 

“We should pack a bag for you too,” Nick pointed out. Better to be prepared for more than one day than need to scramble if it came to that. 

Sabrina nodded and Ambrose moved forward, pulling her into a side hug so as not to disturb the cat before heading off to pack. She reached out for Nick, grateful that he took hold of her hand, desperate to feel his touch again.

“Come on,” he tugged at her. “Let’s get started.”

He wanted them out of this house before Lilith ever stepped foot back in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and your comments. I love seeing reactions and theories about what is happening. 
> 
> Next chapter some new pieces are learned and plans are made, plus Nick and Sabrina get a chance to just breathe for a bit. They need it.

**Author's Note:**

> I know Before the devil breaks me isn't quite all posted at the moment, but it IS completely written and since I'm 30K into this story now it seemed like it was okay for me to start posting it. And really, can we ever have too much Nabrina fanfic out there? No.
> 
> But I hope you like this foray into what a world would be like if the witches and warlocks attended Baxter High with the Fright Club and others. It's sure to be a wild ride.


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